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There is no single H-1B price. Budget in two layers: the employer’s USCIS petition charges and the worker’s consular, issuance, document and travel costs. A qualifying employer may owe a base Form I-129 fee plus some combination of ACWIA, Fraud Prevention and Detection, Asylum Program, covered-employer and biometric charges. Premium processing is optional. An applicant applying at a U.S. embassy or consulate generally pays a separate $205 petition-based nonimmigrant visa application fee, plus any nationality-based issuance fee and local expenses.
The figures below reflect rules and fee notices available through October 2026. USCIS and consulates can change instructions, and several charges depend on the employer, filing type, workforce and nationality. Use the live USCIS Form G-1055 and the specific embassy or consulate instructions immediately before payment.
Start with the two H-1B cost layers
1. The employer’s USCIS petition bill
The employer files Form I-129 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The petition package can contain several government fees, but no single combination applies to every case. Initial petitions, changes of employer, extensions, amendments and petitions for exempt organizations are treated differently. Employer size, nonprofit status and the proportion of H-1B or L-1 workers can also change the amount.
2. The applicant’s visa and travel bill
A worker who needs visa stamping outside the United States pays the Department of State’s petition-based nonimmigrant visa application fee: $205 for H categories, including H-1B. This is separate from every USCIS fee. A visa issuance (reciprocity) fee may be charged after approval, depending on the applicant’s nationality; it can be zero and is not a universal H-1B amount. Interview travel, photographs, document production, courier service and optional legal assistance vary by country, city and provider.
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USCIS approval is a prerequisite to applying for a temporary-worker visa, but it does not guarantee that the consular officer will issue one. Consular processing also has its own scheduling and document requirements.
Employer USCIS fees and when they apply
The following are the principal fee lines identified in USCIS’s Form G-1055 and H-1B filing instructions. Amounts marked as conditional should not be added automatically.
| Fee line | Amount or status | When it can apply |
|---|---|---|
| Base Form I-129 filing fee | Not stated in the cited fee material; verify the current Form G-1055 amount | Generally required for a Form I-129 petition unless a specific exemption applies |
| ACWIA training fee | $750 for an employer with 25 or fewer U.S. full-time-equivalent employees; $1,500 for a larger employer | Commonly applies to initial H-1B employment and changes of employer; statutory exemptions and filing-specific exceptions exist |
| Fraud Prevention and Detection fee | $500 | Generally applies to covered initial petitions and changes of employer, not automatically to every extension or amendment |
| Asylum Program Fee | $600 regular petitioner; $300 small employer; $0 nonprofit | Classification depends on the petitioner’s status and the current USCIS schedule; verify the live classifications |
| Additional covered-employer fee | $4,000 | Applies to a statutory “50/50” covered employer meeting the employee-count and H-1B/L-1 workforce test in an applicable filing |
| 9-11 Biometric Fee | Amount must be taken from the live USCIS G-1055 | For covered employers under the rule effective September 9, 2026; do not infer the amount from older descriptions |
| Premium processing | $2,965 from March 1, 2026 | Optional Form I-907 service for eligible Form I-129 classifications |
ACWIA: $750 or $1,500, subject to exemptions
USCIS lists two ACWIA bands: $750 when the petitioner has 25 or fewer U.S. full-time-equivalent employees and $1,500 when it has more. The fee is not universal. Specified institutions, organizations and filing circumstances can be exempt, so the employer must answer the exemption questions in the current filing instructions rather than selecting a band solely from headcount.
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The $500 Fraud Prevention and Detection fee is generally associated with an initial H-1B petition or a change to a new employer. An extension with the same employer, an amendment and other filings may not trigger it. The petition’s filing category and the current supplement control.
Asylum Program Fee: employer classification matters
The USCIS schedule identifies $600 for a regular petitioner, $300 for a small employer and no charge for a nonprofit. “Small” and “nonprofit” are fee classifications, not labels to apply casually; use the definitions and evidence requested in the current schedule. The published figures come from the July 22, 2025 G-1055 edition and should be reconfirmed before a 2026 filing.
The $4,000 covered-employer charge
A separate $4,000 fee can apply to a covered employer that meets the statutory workforce test. The commonly used “50/50” description means at least 50 U.S. employees and more than half of the U.S. workforce in H-1B or L-1A/L-1B status. It is a conditional charge, not a surcharge on every large company’s petition.
The September 2026 9-11 Biometric Fee
USCIS states that, effective September 9, 2026, a covered employer meeting that same employee-count and H-1B/L-1 workforce test must account for a 9-11 Biometric Fee with H-1B petitions. The agency points filers to the live G-1055 for the amount. USCIS also describes an exception for an amended petition that does not request an extension of the worker’s currently authorized H-1B status. Because fee terminology and instructions can overlap, check the exact form edition and avoid counting an equivalent line twice.
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Premium processing adds $2,965 for eligible H-1B Form I-129 classifications as of March 1, 2026. The employer requests it on Form I-907. It is an expedited adjudication service, not a replacement for the base petition fee or any ACWIA, fraud, asylum or covered-employer charge. USCIS limits premium processing to designated benefits, so confirm eligibility for the particular filing before sending the payment.
Worked budget examples (known amounts only)
These examples deliberately exclude the unstated base I-129 fee, attorney charges, and any fee for which the live schedule is required. They show how conditional lines change the total; they are not universal prices.
| Illustrative filing profile | Known government lines | Known subtotal before base fee and other costs |
|---|---|---|
| Employer with 25 or fewer U.S. full-time-equivalent employees; applicable initial or employer-change filing; no premium processing | ACWIA $750 + Fraud Prevention $500 + Asylum Program $300 | $1,550 |
| Employer with more than 25 employees; applicable initial or employer-change filing; regular petitioner; no premium processing | ACWIA $1,500 + Fraud Prevention $500 + Asylum Program $600 | $2,600 |
| The preceding larger-employer example with eligible premium processing | $2,600 conditional lines + $2,965 Form I-907 | $5,565 |
| Nonprofit where ACWIA is exempt and the fraud fee applies | Fraud Prevention $500 + Asylum Program $0 | $500 |
| Covered “50/50” employer | Add $4,000 to every other fee that applies; assess the 9-11 Biometric Fee separately from the live G-1055 | Not a fixed total |
For an employee applying abroad, add the separate $205 State Department application fee, the nationality-specific reciprocity amount if listed, and actual travel and logistics. Do not turn the largest possible combination of conditional fees into an average H-1B cost.
Who normally pays, and what should be documented?
The employer is the petitioner and submits the USCIS fee payments with Form I-129. That makes the employer responsible for assembling and remitting the petition package and for determining which statutory lines apply. The worker pays the Department of State visa application fee when applying at a consulate and normally bears personal travel and document expenses, unless an employer policy says otherwise.
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Payment agreements require care. Wage, labor-condition and immigration rules can restrict how required employer costs are shifted to an H-1B worker, and the legality can depend on the fee, timing and circumstances. Do not assume that an employment contract can transfer every government charge to the employee. An immigration attorney can review the proposed allocation and the specific filing.
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The separate $100,000 entry restriction: a volatile rule
The $100,000 figure is not a routine USCIS filing fee. USCIS reported that a district court vacated earlier agency guidance on June 8, 2026, and that the First Circuit denied the government’s motion to stay on July 24, 2026. USCIS said it would comply with the court order while considering next steps.
A White House proclamation dated September 2026 then extended, for another 12 months from September 21, 2026, an entry restriction covering certain H-1B specialty-occupation workers unless the payment is made. The proclamation allows discretionary national-interest exceptions and requires employers to retain payment documentation in covered situations. The scope concerns entry and the workers and filings defined by the proclamation; it should not be presented as a charge on every H-1B petition, extension or visa applicant.
Because the litigation history and later proclamation point in different directions, an employer with a potentially covered worker should check the current USCIS Form I-129 guidance and proclamation implementation immediately before filing and preserve the required evidence. This issue is legally time-sensitive and distinct from the ordinary fee table.
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- Classify the filing: mark it as an initial petition, change of employer, extension, amendment, change of status or consular processing case.
- Classify the petitioner: record U.S. full-time-equivalent headcount, nonprofit or small-employer status, and any statutory exemption.
- Test the workforce rule: determine whether at least 50 U.S. employees and more than half of the workforce are in H-1B or L-1A/L-1B status.
- Build the USCIS lines: use the current G-1055 for the base fee, ACWIA, fraud, asylum, covered-employer and 9-11 Biometric Fee answers.
- Choose premium processing separately: add $2,965 only if the benefit is eligible and the employer elects Form I-907.
- Choose the route: for consular processing, add the $205 State Department fee, check the nationality reciprocity table, and estimate interview travel, courier and document costs.
- Check volatile rules: review the current H-1B entry restriction and any payment-documentation requirement for the worker’s nationality, role and intended entry date.
- Save evidence: retain fee receipts, exemption support, workforce calculations, payment confirmations and consular appointment records.
Common budgeting mistakes and fixes
- Using one online total: replace it with a line-by-line worksheet that states the employer class and filing type.
- Adding the $500 fraud fee to every filing: test whether the case is an initial or employer-change filing rather than an extension or amendment.
- Calling premium processing mandatory: show the $2,965 as an optional Form I-907 line.
- Combining USCIS and consular fees: keep the $205 visa application charge in the applicant section; it is not paid to USCIS.
- Quoting one reciprocity fee for everyone: check the applicant’s nationality and the current Department of State table.
- Reusing old biometric or $100,000 guidance: verify the live USCIS instructions and the September 2026 proclamation because both rules are subject to change and case-specific scope.
- Assuming petition approval guarantees a visa: plan for the consular interview and understand that approval of Form I-129 does not ensure visa issuance.
Bottom line
Start with the employer’s Form I-129 fee worksheet, not a headline total. Add only the ACWIA, fraud, asylum, covered-employer and biometric lines that the facts support; add $2,965 only for elected premium processing. For a worker applying abroad, budget a separate $205 visa application fee, any nationality-based issuance fee and real travel and document costs. Recheck USCIS’s live fee schedule, consular instructions and the time-sensitive September 2026 entry rule before money is sent.
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