US increases its visa fees

Non-immigrant and immigrant visa application fees for certain visa categories will change on September 12, 2014. Important Notice - New Application Fees: Nonimmigrant and immigrant visa application fees for certain visa categories will change on September 12, 2014. All visa applicants must pay the fee amounts in effect on the day they pay, with the exception of Immigrant Visa application processing fees paid domestically to the National Visa Center (NVC), which will be effective as of the date of billing. Fees that will decrease are not refundable. If you paid a visa fee before September 12, 2014 and that fee decreased, we cannot give you a refund. Fees that will increase (nonimmigrant fees only): Visa fees paid will be accepted 90 days after the new fees go into effect, as follows: ·       If you paid your visa fee before September 12, 2014, and your visa interview is on or before December 11, 2014, you do not have to pay the difference between the new and old fee amounts. ·         If you paid your visa fee before September 12, 2014, and your visa interview is on or after December 12, 2014, you will be required to pay the difference between the old and new fee amounts – no exceptions. Visa application fees and other visa related fees collected by Department of State. Note that many immigration-related forms are submitted to the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and not to the Department of State. If the type of information or form you are seeking is not shown here, select USCIS Forms and Fees to go to the USCIS Website to review more. Coming to the United States Temporarily - Nonimmigrant Visa Services Nonimmigrant visa application processing fees are tiered, as shown below, based on the visa category for which you are applying. Notice: Every visa applicant must pay the visa application processing fee for the visa category being applied for, unless the application fee is not required, as listed below. Description of Service and Fee Amount (All fees = $ in US currency) Nonimmigrant visa application processing fee (non-refundable) for all categories below ·         Non-petition-based nonimmigrant visa (except E):  $160.00 Includes (but not limited to), the following visa categories:

B	Visitor Visa: Business, Tourism, Medical treatment
C-1	Transiting the United States
D	Crewmembers - Airline, Ship
F	Student, Academic
I	Media and Journalists
J	Exchange Visitors
M	Students, Vocational
TN/TD	NAFTA Professionals
T	Victim of Trafficking in Persons
U	Victim of Criminal Activity

·         Petition based visa categories: $190.00  Includes these visa categories:

H	Temporary Workers/Employment or Trainees
L	Intracompany Transferees
O	Persons with Extraordinary Ability
P	Athletes. Artists & Entertainers
Q	International Cultural Exchange
R	Religious Worker

·         E - Treaty Trader/Investor, Australian Professional Specialty category visa: $205.00 ·         K – Fiancé(e) or Spouse of U.S. citizen category visa: $265.00 Border crossing card fees ·         Border crossing card - age 15 and over (Valid 10 years): $160.00 ·         Border crossing card - under age 15; for Mexican citizens if parent or guardian has or is applying for a border crossing card (valid 10 years or until the applicant reaches age 15, whichever is sooner): $16.00 Other Fees ·         L visa fraud prevention and detection fee - for visa applicant included in L blanket petition  (principal applicant only): $500.00 ·         Border Security Act fee – for visa applicant included in L blanket petition, where petition indicates subject to fee  (principal applicant only): $2,250.00 When the nonimmigrant visa application processing fee is not required: ·         Applicants for A, G, C-2, C-3, NATO, and diplomatic visas (defined in 22 CFR 41.26): No Fee ·         Applicants for J visas participating in official U.S. Government-sponsored educational and cultural exchanges: No Fee (See Exchange Visitor Visas for further detailed fee information.) ·         Replacement of machine-readable visa when the original visa was not properly affixed or needs to be reissued through no fault of the applicant: No Fee ·         Applicants exempted by international agreement as determined by Visa Services, including members and staff of an observer mission to United Nations Headquarters recognized by the UN General Assembly, and their immediate families: No Fee ·         Applicants travelling to provide charitable services as determined by
Visa Services: No Fee ·         U.S. government employees travelling on official business: No Fee ·         A parent, sibling, spouse or child of a U.S. government employee killed in the line of duty who is traveling to attend the employee’s funeral and/or burial; or a parent, sibling, spouse, son or daughter of a U.S. government employee critically injured in the line of duty for visitation during emergency treatment and convalescence: No Fee Nonimmigrant visa issuance fee, including border-crossing cards. ·         See the Visa Reciprocity Tables to find out the visa issuance fee amount, if applicable:  Fee varies (Reciprocal) When the nonimmigrant visa issuance fee is not required: ·         An official representative of a foreign government or an international or regional organization of which the United States is a member; members and staff of an observer mission to United Nations Headquarters recognized by the UN General Assembly; and applicants for diplomatic visas as defined under item 22(a); and their immediate families: No Fee ·         An applicant transiting to and from the United Nations Headquarters: No Fee ·         An applicant participating in a U.S. government sponsored program which may include applicant’s dependent spouse and children: No Fee ·         An applicant travelling to provide charitable services as determined by Visa Services: No Fee Other - When a Visa is Not Required - Visa Waiver Program ·         Citizens of Visa Waiver Program participating countries, and meeting requirements pay a small fee. Select USCIS fees to learn more. Coming to the United States Permanently - Immigrant Services Immigrant visa application processing fees are tiered, as shown below, based on the visa category you apply for. Notice: Every visa applicant must pay the visa application processing fee for the visa category being applied for. Description of Service and Fee Amount (All fees = $ in US currency) Filing an Immigrant Visa Petition (When collected by U.S. Embassies and Consulates for USCIS. Fees subject to change.)

Immigrant petition for relative (I-130)	$420
Orphan (intercountry adoption) immediate relative petition  (I-600, I-800)	$720

Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fees (non-refundable, per person) 

Immediate relative and family preference applications (processed on the basis of an approved I-130, I-600 or I-800 petition)	$325
Employment-based applications (processed on the basis of an approved I-140 or I-526 petition)	$345
Other immigrant visa applications (including approved I-360 self-petitioners, special immigrant visa applicants, and all others, except DV program selectees)	$205
Certain Iraqi and Afghan special immigrant visa applications	NO FEE

Other Fees

Diversity Visa Lottery fee (per person applying as a DV program selectee for a DV category immigrant visa)	$330
Affidavit of Support Review (only when reviewed domestically)	$120

Note: Forms and fee amounts are listed for immigration petitions which are submitted to Department of State, either accepted at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad, or within the United States to the National Visa Center or Kentucky Consular Center. Other immigration related forms can only be approved by the Department of Homeland Security's United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For other fees (relating to forms starting with an "I" select USCIS Forms and Fees for additional information. Special Visa Services Description of Service and Fee Amount (All fees = $ in US currency)

Application for Determining Returning Resident Status,Form DS-117	$180
Transportation letter for Legal Permanent Residents of the United States	NO FEE
Application for Waiver of two-year residency requirement, J Waiver, Form DS-3035	$120
Application for Waiver of visa ineligibility, Form I-601(Collected for USCIS and subject to change)	$585
Refugee or significant public benefit parole case processing	NO FEE

Note:  These fee charts are based on the Code of Federal Regulations - Title 22, Part 22, Sections 22.1 through 22.7.)