The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on 13 January 2026 that premium-processing fees for most Form I-129 and I-140 petitions will rise to US$2,965 from 1 March. The 12 percent jump applies to the H-1B, L-1, O-1 and other work-visa categories heavily used by Indian technology and consulting companies.
USCIS cites inflation adjustments allowed by the 2021 Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act, noting that premium fees had been unchanged since 2024. Employers paying for the 15-calendar-day upgrade must now budget an extra ₹25,000 per petition, or rethink which cases genuinely need expedition.
![USCIS Hikes Premium-Processing Fee to $2,965, Indian IT Firms Face Higher Mobility Costs]()
For companies that need help navigating the shifting landscape, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers end-to-end support with U.S. work-visa paperwork, fee projections and courier logistics, allowing HR teams to decide quickly whether premium processing is worth the added outlay.
Indian outsourcers that file thousands of blanket L-1 or cap-exempt H-1B petitions each year could see mobility budgets swell by crores of rupees. HR teams are also bracing for a cash-flow pinch in April when the FY-2027 H-1B cap lottery coincides with the higher tariff. Companies are assessing whether to pass costs onto clients, absorb them internally or switch some assignments to Canada and Mexico where processing is faster and cheaper.
Legal advisers recommend triaging filings: reserve premium processing for revenue-critical projects and leverage regular processing—currently running 3–5 months—for less urgent moves. Petitioners should also factor in knock-on expenses such as premium Downstream EADs for spouses, which remain pegged to the I-129 fee.
USCIS cites inflation adjustments allowed by the 2021 Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act, noting that premium fees had been unchanged since 2024. Employers paying for the 15-calendar-day upgrade must now budget an extra ₹25,000 per petition, or rethink which cases genuinely need expedition.
For companies that need help navigating the shifting landscape, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers end-to-end support with U.S. work-visa paperwork, fee projections and courier logistics, allowing HR teams to decide quickly whether premium processing is worth the added outlay.
Indian outsourcers that file thousands of blanket L-1 or cap-exempt H-1B petitions each year could see mobility budgets swell by crores of rupees. HR teams are also bracing for a cash-flow pinch in April when the FY-2027 H-1B cap lottery coincides with the higher tariff. Companies are assessing whether to pass costs onto clients, absorb them internally or switch some assignments to Canada and Mexico where processing is faster and cheaper.
Legal advisers recommend triaging filings: reserve premium processing for revenue-critical projects and leverage regular processing—currently running 3–5 months—for less urgent moves. Petitioners should also factor in knock-on expenses such as premium Downstream EADs for spouses, which remain pegged to the I-129 fee.
