Employers often cite cost as a barrier to H1B sponsorship. Here is the actual cost breakdown — it is less than many employers assume.
**USCIS Filing Fees (all required):** - I-129 base filing fee: $780 for employers with <25 employees; $780 for new petitions - ACWIA training fee: $750 (1–25 employees) or $1,500 (26+ employees) - Fraud prevention and detection fee: $500 (first-time petitions and changes of employer) - Public Law 114-113 fee: $4,000 (companies where 50%+ employees are H1B/L1) — only applies to large staffing firms - Asylum program fee: $600 (new as of 2024) - Total USCIS fees (typical employer): $780 + $1,500 + $500 + $600 = $3,380
**Optional but recommended:** - Premium processing: $2,805 (15-business-day guarantee) - Total with premium: $6,185
**Attorney fees:** - In-house immigration counsel: included in HR costs - Outside immigration attorney: $1,500–$4,000 per H1B petition (first filing) or $1,000–$2,500 for extensions
**Total cost per H1B petition (typical employer):** - Without premium processing: $3,380–$7,380 (with attorney) - With premium processing: $6,185–$10,185 (with attorney)
**Recurring costs:** - H1B extension (every 3 years): Same USCIS fees minus fraud prevention fee (if same employer) - PERM labor certification: $700–$2,000 (attorney fees); no USCIS fee for PERM itself - I-140 filing fee: $700
**Who pays?** Federal law (INA § 212(n)) requires employers to pay the H1B filing fees and attorney costs. Employers may NOT require H1B workers to pay any fees associated with the petition. Asking employees to pay H1B fees is a wage and hour violation.