US increases visa processing fees

Effective May 30, the processing fee for nonimmigrant visa applications for Caribbean and other visitors will increase from USD$165 to $185.

The United States Department of State on Tuesday published a Final Rule in the US Federal Register, announcing the changes.

The State Department said the fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s and BCCs), and other non-petition-based NIVs, such as student and exchange visitor visas, will increase from US$160 to US$185.

According to the document, “the fee for certain petition-based non-immigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will increase from US$190 to US$205, the State Department said, adding that the fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicants in a specialty occupation (E category) will increase from US$205 to US$315”

“NIV fees are set based on the actual cost of providing NIV services and are determined after conducting a study of the cost of these services,” the State Department.

The department said it uses an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) methodology to calculate, annually, the cost of providing consular services, including visa services.

“Visas for work and tourism are essential to President Biden’s foreign policy, and we recognize the critical role international travel plays in the US economy,” it said, adding “the Department of State is committed to facilitating legitimate travel to the United States for both immigrant and non-immigrant travelers,”, the department added.