The cost of sponsoring a worker is not one number. For a new Cap-subject and cap-exempt (H-1B)The H-1B category has an annual limit of 65,000 new visas or statuses per fiscal year, plus 20,000 more for people with a U.S. master's degree or higher. Petitions counted toward that limit are cap-subject. Petitions from higher education institutions, their related or affiliated nonprofits, and nonprofit or governmental research organizations are cap-exempt.See it in the glossary, it is a stack of separate government fees that vary with the size and type of the employer, plus legal and other costs that have no fixed price. The figures below are as of September 2026, and USCIS can change them, so confirm on the USCIS fee schedule before filing.
The core government fees
- Registration: $215 per BeneficiaryThe person on whose behalf a petition is filed, such as the relative or worker who would receive the immigration benefit.See it in the glossary, paid in March and not refunded if the registration is not selected.
- Form I-129 filing fee: $780 for most employers, $460 for small employers and nonprofits.
- ACWIA training fee: $1,500 for employers with more than 25 employees, $750 for 25 or fewer. Some universities and affiliated nonprofits are exempt.
- Fraud prevention and detection fee: $500 on new petitions and certain changes of employer.
- AsylumProtection granted to a person already in the United States or at a port of entry who meets the definition of a refugee and cannot safely return to their country.See it in the glossary Program Fee: $600 for most employers, $300 for small employers, none for qualifying nonprofits.
For a large employer, those five add up to $3,595 before optional items.
Optional and situational charges
Premium processingAn optional USCIS service, requested on Form I-907 with an additional fee, that sets a fixed time frame for USCIS to act on certain petitions and applications. Within that time USCIS must issue an approval, denial, request for evidence or notice of intent to deny, or open a fraud investigation. It speeds up when USCIS acts, not the standard the case must meet, and only some forms and categories are eligible.See it in the glossary costs $2,965 for most Form I-129 petitions filed on or after March 1, 2026, as summarized here. Employers with 50 or more employees, more than half of them on H-1B or L status, face an extra $4,000 fee. Legal fees vary by firm and case.
Fees that are proposed or contested
A $100,000 payment tied to a Presidential proclamationA formal statement from the President addressed to the public. In immigration, proclamations are often issued under INA 212(f), which lets the President suspend or restrict the entry of noncitizens when the President finds their entry would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. The Supreme Court read that authority broadly in Trump v. Hawaii (2018), though courts have said it cannot override other parts of the INA.See it in the glossary has been litigated and was extended on September 18, 2026, and it targets workers outside the United States. See its status. DHS has also proposed a separate $103,265 fee on cap-subject petitions, which is not in effect.
Who pays what
Labor Department rules on required wages and deductions limit which costs can be shifted to the worker. The ACWIA fee, for example, must be borne by the employer. Ask a qualified professional before splitting any fee.
The costs beyond the petition
A green card adds its own costs, including Labor certification (PERM)The Department of Labor process in which an employer shows that no qualified U.S. worker is available for a position, required for most EB-2 and EB-3 petitions.See it in the glossary and recruitment for PERM. See our PERM coverage and the employment-based green card overview.