US Adds $4,000 H-1B Extension Fee for Certain Employers From Sept. 9

The United States is expanding a special visa fee to cover more petitions, adding significant costs for some employers who sponsor foreign professionals. Starting Sept. 9, certain employers must pay $4,000 on H-1B extension petitions and $4,500 on L-1 extensions, according to a Department of Homeland Security rule finalized Aug. 10.

What changed

The fee in question is the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee. Previously it applied largely to new-hire and employer-change filings. Under the expansion, covered employers will owe it on all extension-of-status petitions, including same-employer renewals.

Not every employer is affected. The rule covers businesses with 50 or more U.S. employees when more than half of their workforce holds H-1B, L-1A or L-1B status. Amended petitions that do not request an extension stay exempt. The provision carries a statutory sunset date of Sept. 30, 2027.

Importantly, the fee is paid by employers, not workers. Tourists and ordinary B-1/B-2 visitors are not covered.

The grace period is not gone yet

Reports that the U.S. has already scrapped the 60-day grace period for workers who lose their jobs are premature. A proposal titled "Eliminating the Discretionary 60-day Grace Period" entered regulatory review Aug. 6, but it is not final and has no effective date.

For now, current rules still allow certain nonimmigrant workers and their dependents up to 60 consecutive days after employment ends, or until the worker's I-94 expires, whichever comes first. During that window a worker can look for a new sponsor, apply to change status, or leave the country. The grace period alone does not authorize work unless the person has separate authorization or qualifies through an eligible, timely filed petition.

What it means for internationally mobile workers

If you are on an H-1B or L-1 visa in the U.S., this fee change mostly affects your employer's costs rather than your own paperwork. But the practical impact matters: employers concentrated in high-visa-share fields may factor these higher extension costs into hiring and renewal decisions.

If your employer meets the workforce threshold, budgeting for an extra $4,000 (H-1B) or $4,500 (L-1) per extension petition filed on or after Sept. 9 becomes essential. Workers approaching a renewal window should confirm timelines early to avoid gaps.

Separately, keep an eye on the grace-period proposal. If finalized, a shorter or eliminated post-employment window would sharply reduce the time to secure new sponsorship after a job ends. Until then, the existing 60-day cushion remains in place. Anyone relying on a U.S. work visa should track both developments before making relocation or career decisions.

Originally reported by Stamped Nomad.