UPDATE: Judge Blocks USCIS Fee Increases
On September 29, 2020, a federal judge blocked the implementation of USCIS fee increases that were to take effect on October 2, 2020. Current fees remain in place until further legal action. You can read more about this case as reported by Forbes here.
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On August 3, 2020 the USCIS announced fee increases which will become effective for petitions/applications postmarked on or after October 2, 2020. Any application, petition, or request postmarked on or after this date must be accompanied with the fees established by this final rule.
The applications and petitions used most often at Columbia and other universities are listed below with the current fee and the new fee effective October 2, 2020.
- I-765 application for employment authorization used for OPT and J-2 work permission: from $410 to $550
- I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status: from $370 to $390 for an online application and $400 for a paper application
- I-129 petition used for H-1B/ O-1/E-3/TN : currently $460 for all, but increase will vary by type.
- H-1B: $555
- O-1: $705
- E-3 & TN: $695 (if I-129 is filed inside the U.S. rather than status obtained through admission to the US at a port of entry
Here is a chart of all forms and fee changes.
