US Raises Visa Fees For Students, Visitors

The United States has announced hikes in fees for certain Non-Immigrant Visa application processing fees.

The increment, published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2023, will be effective from May 30, 2023.

The US government  in the document said, “The fee for B-1/B-2 visitor visas, Border Crossing Cards for Mexican citizens aged 15 and above, and student and exchange visitor visas will increase from $160 to $185.

“Also, the fee for certain petition-based non-immigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will increase from $190 to $205.

“The fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicants in a specialty occupation (E category) will increase from $205 to $315.”

It said the NIV fees are set based on the actual cost of providing NIV services and are determined after conducting a study of the cost of such services.

The document added that, “The department uses an activity-based costing methodology to calculate, annually, the cost of providing consular services, including visa services. The fees for most non-petition based NIVs were last updated in 2012, and certain other NIV fees were last updated in 2014.

“Other consular fees are not affected by this rule, including the waiver of the two-year residency required fee for certain exchange visitors.

“Visas for work and tourism are essential to President Biden’s foreign policy, and we recognise the critical role international travel plays in the U.S. economy.”