The US Department of State announced new fees for visa applications, starting on June 4, 2010. The rule establishes a tiered structure with separate fees for different nonimmigrant visa categories. Examples of the new fees include:
$140 fee for applicants for all visas that are not petition-based, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchange visitor (F, M and J) visas, will pay a fee of $140.
$150 fee for petition-based visas, including L, H, O, P, Q and R visas
The Department of State has issued a press release with details of a proposed fee increase. The fees would apply to all nonimmigrant visa applications and border crossing cards.
Under the proposed rule, applicants for all visas that are not petition-based, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchange-visitor visas, would pay a fee of $140. Applicants for petition-based visas would pay an application fee of $150. These categories include:
H visa for temporary workers and trainees
L visa for intracompany transferees
O visa for aliens with extraordinary ability
P visa for athletes, artists and entertainers
Q visa for international cultural exchange visitors
R visa for religious occupations
The application fee for K visas for fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens would be $350. The fee for E visas for treaty-traders and treaty-investors would be $390.
The Department will not begin collecting the new proposed fees until it considers public comments and publishes a final rule. In order to view the proposed rule and to submit comments, please go to www.regulations.gov.
