U.S. Department of Labor regulations require that employers pay expenses required for H-1B applications. The fees cannot be recouped from employees.
ISSS Fee
ISSS charges the following administrative fees for preparing H-1B/E-3/TN petitions, payable via EFS (effective July 1, 2025):
- $1,750: Employees who are extending or amending H-1B/E-3 status H-1B/E-3 status at the University of Minnesota
- $2,250: Employees who are transferring H-1B/E-3 status from another employer, changing immigration status to H-1B/E-3, or are new employees applying for H-1B/E-3 at the University of Minnesota for the first time
- $800: Employees who require a USCIS petition to change status to TN or extend TN status
The ISSS fee will be charged to the department once the Labor Condition Application is filed (see part 3: ISSS processing) and will not be refunded if the application is discontinued after this point.
In limited circumstances, ISSS reserves the right to charge a $500 supplemental fee for H-1B cases that are unusually complex or time-consuming. ISSS will discuss this with the department if/when the supplemental fee is required. In most cases, this additional fee will be charged if a Request for Evidence (RFE) is received from USCIS.
USCIS Fees
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) fees are required for all H-1B petitions. For E-3 and TN visas, inclusion of USCIS fees is dependent on the method of application (discuss with ISSS or refer to the Document Checklist if you are unsure.) USCIS application fees are paid by ISSS and charged back to the department through EFS.
- $460: Standard I-129 filing fee for all H-1B petitions
- $510: Standard I-129 filing fee for TN or E-3 petitions (only required if applying for an in-country change or extension of status)
- $500: Anti-fraud fee (not required for H-1B extensions or any TN/E-3 petitions)
- $2,965 (effective March 1, 2026): Premium Processing (PP) fee, if applicable. This is an expedited service that is available for H-1B, E-3, and TN petitions, which guarantees that within 15 days a final adjudication decision or a Request for Evidence (RFE) will be issued (or the fee will be refunded). PP may be requested with the USCIS petition or at a later date, if necessary. ISSS will determine whether premium processing is required, based on estimated processing times. In limited circumstances an employee may be allowed to pay the PP fee, but this must be approved by ISSS.
Dependent fees (effective 4/1/2024):
- $420: Dependent (Form I-539) standard filing fee, if USCIS application is required and if filed online.
- $470: Dependent (Form I-539) standard filing fee, if USCIS application is required and if filed by paper.
