US Announces Increase in Visa Fees

March 30, (THEWILL) – The United States has announced a hike in fees for certain non-immigrant visa applications (NIV).

The US Department of State (DoS) said the hike in the affected NIV fees was implemented after a review of the country’s costs of providing these services.

It, however, reiterates the commitment of the United States to facilitating legitimate travel for both immigrant and nonimmigrant travellers.

The hike also affects the border crossing card (BCC) for Mexican citizens aged 15 and over.

A statement issued on Wednesday, by the US Embassy in Abuja, said the increases were published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2023, and will be effective on May 30, 2023.

“These increases were published in the federal register on March 28, 2023, and will be effective on May 30, 2023.

“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 $160 to $185.

“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.

“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 department uses an activity-based costing (ABC) 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.

“Fee information can be found on the bureau of consular affairs website, travel.state.gov, and on the websites of US embassies and consulates,” the statement read in part.

It, however, noted that the work and tourism visas are essential to President Biden’s foreign policy and have a critical impact on the country’s economy.