Washington, Aug. 15 -- The new US fee on H-1B visa extensions is unlikely to discourage companies from retaining skilled foreign workers, as the cost of paying the additional charge could be lower than the cost of losing and replacing an employee, according to Danielle Goldman, Co-founder and CEO of Build.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expanded an existing USD 4,000 fee on H-1B petitions and USD 4,500 fee on L-1 petitions to certain visa extension applications. The new rule will take effect on September 9.

The rule applies to companies with at least 50 employees in the United States, where more than 50 per cent of their US workforce collectively holds H-1B, L-1A or L-1B status.

Under the revised rule, these employers...