Border Security Bills Propose Increase in H-1 and L-1 Fees!

For the full story, see these articles:

Border Security Bill Signed (13.Aug.2010)
Border Security Bill Sent to President (13.Aug.2010)

The U.S. House and Senate have both passed bills providing for $600 million in increased funding for border security. Included in the bills is an increase in the filing and fraud prevention / detection fees charged in connection with H1B and L-1 filings.

The proposed legislation would raise the H1B and L-1 fees for employers with more than 50 employees, if more than 50 percent of the employer’s U.S. workforce is comprised of H1B or L-1 workers. The fees would be raised by $2,000 for H1B filings and $2,250 for L-1 filings by these employers.

The bills have been moving between the House and the Senate for procedural reasons. A revised version of the bill (H.R. 6080) passed the House on August 10, 2010. It must be returned to the Senate for their final action. The Senate passed an identical bill earlier, under a different number, but must vote on the bill numbered H.R. 6080. The Senate is in recess until September 10, 2010. Further action, therefore, will await their return, and filing fees remain unchanged as of this writing. We will provide further updates and analysis as this matter develops.