If your employer is renewing your H-1B or L-1 this year, that renewal may now cost the company an extra $4,000 to $4,500, even if you are staying in the exact same job with the same employer.
A DHS rule that took effect on September 9, 2026 now applies the 9/11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee to certain extension petitions filed by the same employer for the same worker. These straightforward extensions were previously exempt.
Here is who has to pay the fee, who does not, and one important thing the name gets wrong.
First, the “biometric” part does not mean fingerprints
Despite the word “biometric,” this is not a new fingerprint appointment and it does not add a visit to a USCIS office.
The fee is money, not a new biometrics step.
The “biometric entry-exit” part refers to the government program the money funds, not something you have to do as part of your renewal.
So if you saw the word “biometric” and worried that your renewal now requires another screening or USCIS appointment, that is not what changed.
The bill changed, not the process.
What is the fee?
It is a flat, congressionally mandated fee created years ago under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016.
The amounts are:
- H-1B petitions: $4,000
- L-1 petitions: $4,500
The amounts themselves have not changed.
What changed on September 9, 2026 is which petitions the fee applies to.
Does the fee apply to your petition?
Not every employer has to pay it.
The fee applies when the employer:
- Has 50 or more employees in the United States, and
- Has more than 50% of its US employees in H-1B or L-1 status
Both conditions must be met.
Large outsourcing and IT services companies are the typical employers affected by this rule. A smaller company sponsoring a handful of H-1B or L-1 workers usually will not meet both thresholds.
The important change is that, for a covered employer, the fee now applies to extension-of-status petitions, including a straightforward extension with the same employer.
Before this rule took effect, DHS did not charge the fee on those same-employer extensions.
Change-of-employer petitions already carried the fee.
If you are on an H-1B
If your employer meets the requirements above, your H-1B extension now comes with a $4,000 fee.
The employer pays the fee, not you.
This is important because H-1B rules generally prevent an employer from reducing your wages or compensation to recover required petition filing costs.
That protection can matter if your employer asks you to reimburse the fee. If you are asked to pay back a required petition fee, do not simply assume that it is allowed. Check with your immigration counsel.
If you are on an L-1
For an L-1 extension, the fee is $4,500, whether you are in L-1A or L-1B status.
Again, the petitioning employer is responsible for the fee.
However, L-1 does not have the same wage-protection language that applies to H-1B workers. That makes the question of whether the employer can pass the cost to you less settled.
If your employer asks you to reimburse the fee, check with your immigration counsel before agreeing to it.
What if it is an amendment, not an extension?
This is an important distinction.
The new fee applies to petitions that request an extension of status.
An amended petition that does not also request an extension is not covered.
For example, a mid-term amendment after a worksite change does not trigger this fee on its own.
The extension request is what brings the fee into play.
Could the new fee delay your case?
There is no new biometric appointment or other procedural step that should slow down the case.
The bigger risk is administrative.
If a covered employer files your extension but leaves out a fee that is now required, USCIS can reject the filing or issue a request for evidence. That can create a delay in your immigration timeline.
For you, the practical takeaway is simple:
If you work for a large employer with a high concentration of H-1B or L-1 workers, confirm with HR or your immigration counsel that your renewal was filed with the correct fees.
Do this before your current status gets close to expiring.
How is this different from the $100,000 H-1B fee?
Do not mix these two numbers up.
The fee discussed in this article is the $4,000 H-1B fee or $4,500 L-1 fee. It is in effect now for covered petitions.
The widely reported six-figure H-1B fee is a separate measure with its own history and legal status.
If you are simply renewing an existing H-1B or L-1, the six-figure figure is not the fee discussed here.
Your potential additional cost is $4,000 for H-1B or $4,500 for L-1, provided your employer meets the coverage requirements.
How long will this fee last?
There is another date worth knowing.
The underlying fee authority is scheduled to sunset for petitions filed on or after October 1, 2027, unless Congress extends it.
Until then, covered extensions carry the fee.
The fee at a glance
| H-1B | L-1A / L-1B | |
|---|---|---|
| Extension fee | $4,000 | $4,500 |
| Same-employer extensions covered from | September 9, 2026 | September 9, 2026 |
| Who is covered | Employer with 50+ US employees and more than 50% of US staff in H-1B/L-1 status | Same |
| Who pays | Petitioning employer | Petitioning employer |
| Amendment without extension | Not covered | Not covered |
| Scheduled sunset | October 1, 2027, unless extended | October 1, 2027, unless extended |
What this means for you
If your employer is a large H-1B or L-1-heavy company and your status is being extended, ask your HR team or immigration lawyer whether the new $4,000 or $4,500 fee applies to your petition.
The key change is not a new immigration appointment. It is a new employer-side cost that now reaches certain same-employer extensions.
