Visa Petition Fee Increases Next Week

September 25, 2020

U.S. petitioners that program international guest artists should prepare for steep fee increases in filing visa petitions with USCIS, effective next Friday, October 2, 2020. New versions of the Form I-129 were to have been released well in advance of this date, but as of September 23, the public is still awaiting approved versions of the new and I-129 forms. Although informational preview copies have been posted, they are subject to change and will not be accepted by USCIS. As soon as the new forms have been approved and posted, petitioners seeking an O visa must file the new I-129O while those seeking a P visa (including P-1B and P-3) will need to use the I-129MISC. Any petition for a group of beneficiaries will be capped at a maximum of 25 per petition. Premium Processing Service, which remains at a cost of $1,440 on top of the base filing fee, will now expand from 15 calendar days to 15 federal working days.

While petitioners should follow all posted guidance and stay tuned for updated templates on the League’s website, Artists from Abroad, U.S. residents can urge Congress to provide relief for the nonprofit arts and lower barriers to international cultural activity through our updated campaign.