H-1B Fees: The Full Stack, Line by Line

What does one H-1B petition cost?

Each line below is labeled mandatory (every initial petition pays it), conditional (depends on the petition type), or optional (nobody has to pay it).

1. Registration fee

   Amount

   $215

   Paid by

   Employer

   Kind

   Conditional

   Per beneficiary entered in the cap registration process. USCIS describes the registration fee as non-refundable, including when a duplicate registration is deleted or removed.^[4]

2. I-129 filing fee

   Amount

   $780 / $460

   Paid by

   Employer

   Kind

   Mandatory

   $780 standard rate; $460 for small employers (25 or fewer FTEs) and nonprofits. The pre-2024 flat fee was $460.^[5][6]

3. Asylum Program Fee

   Amount

   $600 / $300 / $0

   Paid by

   Employer

   Kind

   Mandatory

   Added April 2024 to fund asylum adjudication. $600 large employers, $300 small employers, $0 nonprofits.

4. ACWIA training fee

   Amount

   $1,500 / $750 / $0

   Paid by

   Employer

   Kind

   Conditional

   $1,500 above 25 employees; $750 at 25 or fewer, including affiliates and subsidiaries. Qualifying education and research employers are exempt. Nonprofit status alone does not set the lower rate. Due on initial petitions, employer changes, and the first same-employer extension. Later same-employer extensions are exempt. Cannot be passed to the worker.^[7]

5. Fraud Prevention and Detection fee

   Amount

   $500

   Paid by

   Employer

   Kind

   Conditional

   Due on initial petitions and each change of employer; same-employer extensions do not pay it. Cannot be passed to the worker.

6. 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit fee

   Amount

   $4,000

   Paid by

   Employer

   Kind

   Conditional

   Applies to employers with at least 50 U.S. employees when more than half hold H-1B or L-1 status. Covers initial grants and extensions of status, including same-employer extensions from September 9, 2026. The fee is separate from the $500 fraud fee.

7. Premium processing

   Amount

   $2,965

   Paid by

   Employer or worker

   Kind

   Optional

   USCIS must take an adjudicative action within 15 business days; this does not guarantee approval. The fee is $2,965 from March 1, 2026. Whether the worker may bear a charge depends on the deduction rules. Employer business costs cannot reduce pay below the required wage.^[8][9]

8. Attorney / legal costs

   Amount

   Request a quote

   Paid by

   Employer, subject to wage rules

   Kind

   Optional

   Legal representation is separate from government filing fees. This page does not measure law firms’ prices.

Sources: the USCIS fee schedule; 8 CFR 214.2(h)(19) for ACWIA exemptions; the premium-fee rule effective March 1, 2026; and the 9-11 fee rule effective September 9, 2026. Legal costs are separate from government charges. Check the official sources before filing.

What is the total? It depends on the employer

These baseline examples cover an initial petition. Cap-subject examples include one $215 registration. They exclude optional costs, the conditional $4,000 fee, and any separate proclamation payment.

1. Large employer (26+ workers)

   Baseline total

   $3,595

   How it adds up

   780 + 600 + 1,500 + 500 + 215 registration

2. Small employer (25 or fewer)

   Baseline total

   $2,225

   How it adds up

   460 + 300 + 750 + 500 + 215 registration

3. Other nonprofit, cap-subject

   Baseline total

   $1,925 / $2,675

   How it adds up

   460 + 0 + 750 or 1,500 + 500 + 215 registration; ACWIA depends on employee count

4. Qualifying nonprofit university or research employer

   Baseline total

   $960

   How it adds up

   460 + 0 asylum + 0 ACWIA + 500 fraud; no cap registration

Optional premium processing adds $2,965. Legal costs require a separate quote. The total depends on the applicable exemptions and extra charges; there is no universal all-in range.

Who pays each fee, and what does the money buy?

The employer cannot pass the ACWIA or fraud fee to the worker. Other employer business costs, including petition preparation, cannot reduce pay below the required wage. Voluntary deductions have additional conditions, including written authorization and a purpose principally for the worker’s benefit. See 20 CFR 655.731(c)(9)–(10).^[10]

The I-129 filing fee recurs. The asylum fee depends on employer category. ACWIA usually applies to the first same-employer extension, but not the second or later extension. The $500 fraud fee applies to initial grants and employer changes, not same-employer extensions. Covered employers also pay the $4,000 fee for extensions of status from September 9, 2026. Registration applies only when entering the cap selection process.

Fees and offered wages measure different costs. The salary pages compare recorded offers with stated BLS benchmarks. Those comparisons do not establish actual payroll, employer profit, or a wage-law violation. Compare occupation wages.