The US Department of State has published a Final Rule regarding increases to certain nonimmigrant visa application (NIV) processing fees.
A statement yesterday from the US Embassy said that effective May 30, 2023, the fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2), and other non-petition based NIVs such as student and exchange visitor visas, will rise from US$160 to US$185. The fee for certain petition-based nonimmigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will move from US$190 to US$205. The fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicants in a specialty occupation (E category) will go up from US$205 to US$315.
Other consular fees are not affected by this rule, including the waiver of the two-year residency required fee for certain exchange visitors, the statement said.
Visa fees are calculated based on the results of an annual study of the cost of service, the statement noted. The fees for most non-petition based NIVs were last updated in 2012, and certain other NIV fees were last updated in 2014.
Visas for work and tourism are essential to US President Joe Biden’s foreign policy, “and we recognize the critical role international travel plays in the U.S. economy”, the statement added.
Fee information can be found on the U.S. Embassy website at: https://gy.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/