On January 31st, USCIS published a new fee schedule (89 FR 6194), which will take effect on April 1, 2024, and significantly impact most employment-based petitions.

Most notably, the new fee schedule will add a mandatory Asylum Program Fee to every Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, filed by for-profit employers. USCIS has published a new fee schedule that will affect most employment-based petitions.

This episode of the podcast will explain what the Asylum Program Fee is, why it is being introduced and the consequences for U.S. employers.

Some topics covered:

• A new asylum fee has been introduced to fund part of the cost of administering the asylum process.
• US employers will be required to pay significantly higher filing fees, potentially costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.
• Employers should file petitions before April 1st, 2024, to avoid the new fees and ensure timely processing.