L-1 Visa Fees

If you are interested in filing for an L-1 visa, it’s key to understand the cost associated with the process. Fortunately, most of the L-1 visa fees are the employer’s responsibility, but some costs will be your responsibility. In this post, we’ll cover the answers to some of the more common questions regarding the L-1 visa fees, including:

• How much are the USCIS filing fees?
• How much are the attorney fees?
• Which fees are my responsibility and which are my employer’s?
• Can I use premium processing?
• How do L-1 blanket petitions work?

Consult an experienced L-1 attorney to make sure that you are paying the correct fees.

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What are the L-1 Visa Processing Fees?

• Basic Filing Fee:  $1,385 for Form I-129. For small businesses and nonprofits: $695
  • This processing fee applies to new L-1 visas as well as L-1 transfers, extensions, or renewals.
• Asylum Program Fee: $600
  • If you are filing as a Nonprofit: $0
  • If you are filing as a Small Employer: $300
• Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee: $500
  • Allows the USCIS to determine who is attempting to use the L-1 visa to enter the U.S. through fraudulent means.
  • It applies to all first-time L-1 visa petitions, but it is not required for an L-1 visa extension.
• Public Law 113-114 Fee: $4,500
  • This fee only applies to employers that have more than 50 employees working in the United States, and half of those employees have H-1B or L-1 status.
• DS-160: $205
  • Required when you, the beneficiary, apply for the visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy.
• Premium Processing (Optional): $2805
  • Expedites the L-1 visa process to 15 business days
• L-1 Attorney Fee: Varies. See our flat L-1 visa attorney fees.

Important: Most of the USCIS fees must be paid by your employer. In fact, the beneficiary is not even permitted to pay many of these fees by law, and doing so could result in serious consequences. Contact your immigration attorney if your employer asks you to pay these L-1 visa fees.

What Are L-1 Blanket Petition Fees?

• General Filing: $0
• Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee: $500 per beneficiary
• Public Law 114-113 Fee: $4,500 (paid once, not per employee)

How to Make Payments for your L-1 Visa Fees?

Payment instructions are provided in the Form I-129 filing guidelines. Each required L-1 visa fee must be submitted as a separate check or money order—do not combine multiple fees into a single payment.

Submitting a combined payment may lead to rejection of your petition by USCIS.

What Are L-1 Visa Extension Costs?

For L-1 extensions, your employer will need to file another I-129, which requires your employer to pay the basic filing fee of 1,385. However, the Public Law fee and anti-fraud fees do not apply to L-1 extensions.

Also, if you elect to use premium processing again, you or your employer will need to pay a new premium processing fee of $2,805

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for an L-1 Blanket Petition?

An L-1 blanket petition lets certain organizations streamline intracompany transfers by pre-establishing eligibility before filing individual L-1 petitions.

• To qualify, the petitioner and all related companies must be engaged in commercial trade or services.
• The U.S. petitioner’s office should have been operating for at least one year, with at least three domestic or foreign branches, subsidiaries, or affiliates.
• Additionally, the company group must meet one of these criteria:
  • Have obtained 10 or more L-1 approvals in the past 12 months
  • Have U.S. subsidiaries or affiliates with combined annual sales of $25 million or more
  • Or employ at least 1,000 workers in the U.S.

While approval of a blanket petition doesn’t guarantee L-1A classification for employees, it allows employers to quickly transfer eligible staff to the U.S. without filing individual petitions each time.

What Are L-1 Attorney Fees?

L-1 attorneys’ fees typically cost several thousand dollars for a basic L-1 application, and potentially much higher for cases involving complex issues or blanket petitions involving multiple beneficiaries.

VisaNation Law Group offers a flat fee of $4,750 for L-1 visa services, including personalized, one-on-one attorney support to expertly handle any issues throughout your visa process.

Are Refunds Possible?

On the whole, it is unwise to expect a refund for your L-1 visa fees from the USCIS. Even if your petition is denied, you should not expect a refund. However, there are some situations in which a refund is warranted and granted. You may get a refund if:

• The USCIS asked you to submit a form and fee that was not required for your case.
• The USCIS asked you to pay an amount that was greater than the amount required by regulation.
• The USCIS did not process your I-129 petition in 15 business days if the premium processing fee had been paid.

It is important to note that the nonimmigrant visa fee is not refundable under any circumstances. Retaining an L-1 lawyer can keep you up-to-date on the fees and help you avoid costly mistakes.

Who Pays the L-1 Visa Fees?

Here is a clear breakdown of who is responsible for each of L-1 visa fees:

• Basic Filing Fee – this is your employer’s responsibility
• Public Law 113-114 Fee – this is your employer’s responsibility
• Anti-Fraud Fee – this is your employer’s responsibility
• Premium Processing Fee – this can be paid by either you or your employer. If you pay this fee for personal reasons, the USCIS will require proof from your employer that you were not strongarmed or otherwise coerced to do so for the employer’s benefit.
• Nonimmigrant Visa Fee (DS-160) – this is your responsibility. You must pay this when you travel to the consulate or embassy in your home country to obtain your visa for the first time. If you are already in the U.S. under a different visa status, then this fee does not apply to you.