The Donald Trump administration is planning to make H-1B and L-1 visa extensions more expensive, a move that could significantly raise costs for large US companies that rely heavily on foreign skilled workers, including thousands of Indian professionals.
According to the Department of Homeland Security’s regulatory agenda, a final rule expected in July would expand the “9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee” to petitions filed for visa extensions.
Under the current rules, employers with more than 50 employees, of whom over half hold H-1B or L-1 visas, must pay an additional $4,000 for certain H-1B petitions and $4,500 for certain L-1 petitions.
At present, these additional charges generally apply when an employer files an initial petition or when a worker changes employers.
However, the proposed rule would extend the fees to all qualifying H-1B and L-1 extension petitions.
“DHS is amending and clarifying the regulations to specify that the 9-11 Response Fees will apply to all H-1B and L-1 extension petitions,” the regulatory proposal states.
Proposal Follows Setback Over $100,000 H-1B Fee
The latest proposal comes after a legal setback for the Trump administration over its attempt to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas.
A US federal appeals court recently declined to suspend a lower-court ruling that struck down the proposed charge.
Since H-1B workers generally require an extension after their initial three-year period, the new rule could substantially increase immigration-related expenses for companies employing large numbers of foreign professionals.
The proposal could also affect multinational companies such as Google and Meta, which use L-1 visas to transfer executives, managers and employees with specialised knowledge to their US operations.
Indian Professionals Likely to Be Hit Hard
Indian nationals are likely to be among those most affected, as they account for the majority of H-1B extensions approved each year.
According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data, 406,685 H-1B petitions were approved in fiscal year 2025.
Of these, 291,542 petitions, or around 71 per cent, were for continuing employment rather than first-time applicants entering the programme.
Indian nationals accounted for 226,359 of those approvals, representing 77.6 per cent of all H-1B renewals. Chinese nationals were a distant second, with 31,581 approvals.
Big Tech and IT Firms Face Higher Costs
The proposed fee expansion could have a major impact on large technology companies and IT services firms that depend heavily on H-1B workers.
According to data from the National Foundation for American Policy, Amazon received the highest number of approved H-1B petitions for continuing employment in fiscal year 2025, with 14,532 approvals.
It was followed by Tata Consultancy Services with 5,293 approvals, Microsoft with 4,863, Meta Platforms with 4,740, Apple with 4,610 and Google with 4,509.
If the rule is finalised, companies with large H-1B and L-1 workforces could face millions of dollars in additional immigration costs each year.
