# Federal Register #Docket No. USCBP-2024-0009

DHS Expands 9-11 Biometric Entry-Exit Fee Requirements for H-1B and L-1 Visa Petitions

**Buyer:** Department of Homeland Security
**Posted:** August 10, 2026
**Identifier:** Docket No. USCBP-2024-0009
**NAICS:** 541990

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has finalized a rule expanding the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee requirements for H-1B and L-1 visa petitions:
- Applies to all H-1B and L-1 visa extension petitions filed by covered employers (50+ employees, over 50% in H-1B/L-1 status)
  - Fee is $4,000 for H-1B petitions and $4,500 for L-1 petitions
- Fee now required for all extension petitions, not just those involving a change of employer
- Fees fund the development and maintenance of biometric entry-exit systems to enhance national security
- Rule clarifies statutory interpretation and aims to increase fee collections to support biometric programs
- No products, equipment, or OEMs are being procured; this is a regulatory fee requirement
- The fee applies to petitions filed through the extended sunset date
- Estimated fiscal impact: $37.9 million (FY 2026) and $40 million (FY 2027) in transfer payments

### Description

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending regulations concerning the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee for certain H-1B and L-1 visas. The changes clarify that covered employers must submit the 9-11 Biometric Fee for all extension of status petitions, including those without a change of employer, while the fee continues to apply unchanged to initial status petitions. This rule supports DHS's congressional mandate to implement a biometric entry-exit system and enhances national security by verifying visa holders biometrically.

[View original listing](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/10/2026-16231/9-11-response-and-biometric-entry-exit-fee-for-h-1b-and-l-1-visas)