The Department of State issued a new rule on March 28 that increases visa processing fees for the H-2B program by $15. These prices have not changed in decades. According to the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), although it is hard to support any increase, the good news is that $15 is well below the drastic increases originally proposed by the Department of State. The proposed rule would have raised the H-2B and H-2A visa application processing fee from $190 to $310. The final rule sets that level at $205 and becomes effective on May 30, 2023.
NALP stated that it is grateful that the Department of State listened to feedback from NALP and its industry allies about the burdens associated with the proposed fee increases. Please note that this rule on visa application processing fees levied by the Department of State is separate from the proposed USCIS rule on the H-2A and H-2B visa petition fees.