Payment of H-1B Fees

• Filing fees may not be passed on to international scholars. DLCIs may not deduct filing fees from salaries or require reimbursement from international scholars. US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the US Department of Labor consider application filing fees for employment-based visas to be "employer business expenses." They may not be paid by the international employees themselves.
• Unrestricted funds and discretionary funds may be used to pay application filing fees. The use of research funds to pay application filing fees and the anti-fraud fee should be discussed with the DLCI financial administrator, who can determine if the particular grant language allows it. Federal regulations specify that any cost charged to research must be "recognized as ordinary and necessary." Premium processing fees, for optional expedited processing, may not be charged to research grants.
• H-1B sponsorship may not be the only option available to some researchers. Alternatives, such as the J-1 visa, can be discussed on a case-by-case basis with an International Scholars Office advisor.

As of September 30, 2025 all H-1B applications must be filed using USCIS Form G-1450 (Authorization for Credit Card Transactions) completed by the DLCI with MIT P-Card information. If the MIT P-Card you are using has a single-transaction limit that is lower than the H-1B filing fees required for the H-1B application, you will need to work with VPF prior to completing the Form G-1450. Please contact your H-1B advisor in the ISchO for more information about this process. You may use the the G/L 421318 Fees - Government for all H-1B visa fees, including the $500 anti-fraud fee, the $460 application fee, and the $2,805 premium processing fee.