Installment One Hundred and Two
Starting July 13th, Immigrant Visa (IV) applicant fees will go down in price from $355 to $330 for immediate relative and family preference cases.
Other consular service fees, however, outside of Non-Immigrant Visas, will go up on July 13th. The fees for new passport books will increase from $100 to $135. The total charge for an adult passport book renewal, including the application fee and security surcharge, will increase from $75 to $110. The total charge for a minor passport book (age 16 and under), including the application fee, security surcharge and execution fee, will increase from $85 to $105. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad will now cost $100, up from $65.
Why have the fees changed?
The changes in consular fees will cover actual operating expenses for our network of centers that provide consular services to both U.S and foreign citizens.
A study was done in 2009 that revealed the actual cost of the services the Department provides. As a result, we are now establishing tiered fees for some service categories, charging more for cases that require extensive processing and less for more straightforward cases, better reflecting the cost of providing these services. Some fees have actually decreased.
What if I already paid all the fees for my IV application?
Fees paid at U.S. Embassies and Consulates or to National Visa Center (NVC) prior to the publication of the final rule are considered paid in full at the current rate, and these applicants will not be required to pay additional fees to cover the difference between the current and new fees. Applicants already billed by NVC prior to the publication of the final rule will only pay the fees billed, regardless of whether they pay before or after the new fees are implemented. Only applicants who receive bills from the NVC dated after July 13 must pay the new processing fees.
Where can I get more information on these new fees?
Information about the fees, as well as how and where to apply for a U.S. passport book or card, can be found on the Department of State’s web site at travel.state.gov.
***
“Ask the Consul” is a fortnightly column from the U.S. Embassy answering questions about U.S. immigration law and visa issues. If you have a general question about visa policy please email it to us at AskGeorge@state.gov. We select questions every other week and publish the answers in Stabroek News and on our website at http://georgetown.usembassy.gov/ask-the-consul.html For more information about visas please see http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov or http://georgetown.usembassy.gov/.
Other than the questions we select, we DO NOT respond to questions sent to Ask the Consul. Please contact the visa inquiries unit (email visageorge@state.gov or call 225-7965 between 8 am and 4 pm Monday through Friday) if you have questions about a specific case.
