Law Offices of Norka M. Schell, LLC
Visa Processing Fees Change Today
Effective today, April 13, 2012, the Department of State will adjust visa processing fees. The fees most nonimmigrant visa applications and Border Crossing Cards will increase, while all immigrant visa processing fees will decrease.
The Department is required to recover, as far as possible, the cost of processing visas through the collection of application fees. For number of reasons, the current fees no longer cover the actual cost of processing nonimmigrant visas. The nonimmigrant visa fee increase will support the additional and expansion of overseas facilities, as well as additional staffing required to meet increased visa demand.
Although most categories of nonimmigrant visa processing fees will increase, the fee for E visas (treaty-trades and treaty-investors0 and K visas (for fiancee(e)s of U.S. citizens) will decrease.
Nonimmigrant Visa Processing Fees
- Tourist, Business, Crew Member, Student, Exchange Visitor and Journalist visas. Previous Fee: $140.00 - New Fee: $160.00
- Petition-Based on visas (H,L,O,P, Q, and R). Previous Fee: $150.00 - New Fee: $190.00
- Treaty Investor and Trader visas (E). Previous Fee: $390.00 - New Fee: $270.00
- Fiance(e0 visas (K). Previous Fee: $350.00 - New Fee: $240.00
- Border Crossing Cards (age 15 and older). Previous Fee: $140.00 - New Fee $160.00
- Border Crossing Cards (under age 15). Previous Fee: $14.00 - New Fee $15.00
Because of a reallocation of costs associated with immigrant visas, all categories of immigrant visa processing fees will decrease.
Immigrant Visa Processing Fees
- Immediate Relative and Family Preference Application. Previous Fee $330.00 - New Fee $230.00
- Employment-Based Applications. Previous Fee $720.00 - New Fee $405.00
- Other Immigrant Visa Applications. Previous Fee $305.00 - New Fee $220.00
- Diversity Visa Program Fee. Previous Fee $440.00 - New Fee $330.00
- Determining Returning Resident Status. Previous Fee $380.00 - New Fee 275.00