Are there fee waivers for nonprofit organizations sponsoring an O-1?

The fees associated with the O-1 visa are set by the USCIS and, as a general rule, apply to the petition regardless of whether the sponsor is a for-profit or nonprofit organization. The type of entity alone does not automatically create an entitlement to a fee waiver.

That said, fee policies, waivers, and reductions are not fixed: they are part of USCIS rules, which may provide for specific treatment in certain situations and are reviewed from time to time. For this reason, stating today that a waiver ‘exists’ or ‘does not exist’ for a given profile may quickly become outdated.

In practice, when planning an O-1 petition, it is worth:

• Checking the current fee schedule and the instructions for the applicable form directly on the USCIS website.
• Verifying whether your case qualifies under any specific waiver or reduction rule.
• Being cautious of promises of a ‘guaranteed waiver’ that do not come from an official source.

Since these amounts and criteria change over time, the safest approach is to confirm the current fees with USCIS or a qualified specialist before submitting the petition.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.