U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a final rule to reinforce integrity measures within the H-1B program, focusing on the FY 2025 H-1B cap initial registration period. Additionally, USCIS has unveiled an online filing option for Forms I-129 and I-907 for H-1B petitioners.

Marking the first fee adjustment since 2016. Published today, the final rule aims to enhance USCIS's financial recovery and facilitate more expeditious processing of new applications.

The rule, arising from a comprehensive fee review mandated by law, comes after the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking in January 2023. The review identified a significant shortfall in the current fee schedule's capacity to cover the agency's operational costs, including expanding humanitarian programs, mandated pay raises, staffing needs, and essential investments.