The increase in the US visa fee for people applying at US Consulates and Embassies is expected to affect visitors and various non-immigrants, including the ones applying for work visas like the L-1 visa, H-1B visa, E-2 visa, etc.
Finalized Increments To Non-Immigrant Visa Fees
The US State Department published a final rule in the Federal Register dictating increments to specific non-immigrant visa (NIV) application processing fees and the border crossing card (BCC) for Mexicans aged 15 and above. Don’t forget the finalized fee increases will become effective on 30 May 2023.
Which Visa Categories Will Follow The Updated Fee Structure?
The fee for border crossing cards or BCCs for Mexicans and visitor visas, including the B1 visa for business and B2 for tourism, will rise from $160 to $185. This also includes other non-petition-based NIVs, like student and exchange visitor visas. Furthermore, the charges for petition-based non-immigrant visas for temporary workers will increase from $190 to $205 per applicant. This will be applied to workers in H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories.
In addition to this, the visa fee for treaty applicants, including E-1 treaty traders and E-2 treaty investors, will increase from $205 to $315. Interestingly, the fees for the majority of the non-petition-based NIVs were last updated in 2012, with a few others being changed in 2014.
To Conclude
The new rule doesn’t change other consular fees and the fee to obtain the waiver of the two-year residency requirement for some exchange visitors. Individuals who plan to apply for a visitor visa are advised to submit their applications before 30 May 2023 to avoid paying extra since the charges for several non-immigrant visas will be increased soon.
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