The United States government has announced an increase in the non-migrant visa application fee, which will take affect immediately. This becomes effective on March 30.
According to a statement issued by the US Mission in Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja, the raises were published in the Federal Register on March 28.
The changes, according to the US government, are in line with the Department of State’s dedication to facilitating legitimate travel to the US for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visitors.
“The Department of State issued a Final Rule increasing the processing fees for certain non-immigrant visa applications (NIVs) and the Border Crossing Card (BCC) for Mexican citizens aged 15 and up.”These increases were published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2023, and they will go into force on May 30, 2023.
“The fee for business or tourism visitor visas (B1/B2s and BCCs), as well as other non-petition-based NIVs such as student and exchange visitor visas, will increase from 160 to 185 dollars,” it said.
The fee for certain petition-based non-immigrant visas for temporary employees (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) would rise from 190 to 205 dollars, according to the mission.
“The fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, or treaty applicant in a specialty occupation (E category) will rise from 205 to 315 dollars.”
“NIV fees are set based on the actual cost of providing NIV services and are determined following a cost-benefit analysis of these services.”
“The Department calculates the cost of providing consular services, including visa services, using an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) methodology on an annual basis.”
“Most non-petition-based NIV fees were last updated in 2012, and certain other NIV fees were last updated in 2014,” it said.
Other consular fees, including the waiver of the two-year residency requirement fee for certain exchange visitors, are not impacted by this regulation, according to the mission.
“The US government also stated that work and tourism visas are critical to President Biden’s foreign policy, recognizing the critical role international travel plays in the US economy.”
“Fee information can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website, travel.state.gov, and on the websites of U.S. embassies and consulates,” it stated.
Read full statement below:
The Department of State is committed to facilitating legitimate travel to the United States for both immigrant and nonimmigrant travelers.
The Department of State published a Final Rule regarding increases to certain nonimmigrant visa application (NIV) processing fees and the Border Crossing Card (BCC) for Mexican citizens age 15 and over. 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 nonimmigrant 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.
Visas for work and tourism are essential to President Biden’s foreign policy, and we recognize the critical role international travel plays in the U.S. economy.
Fee information can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website, travel.state.gov, and on the websites of U.S. embassies and consulates.
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