DOS Announces Increased Visa Stamp Application Fees

The Department of State (DOS) issued an advance copy of the interim final rule on the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Overseas Embassies and Consulates.  The notice was published today at the Federal Register.

According to the notice, the new rule will become effective on June 4, 2010 (15 days after publication).  The increase in fees is mainly due to increase in processing costs for a number of non-immigrant visas processed at the U.S. consulates abroad.  For most of these visa types, the current fee is $131.00.  As a result, while some categories see a minor increase of $10-20, some categories see the fees more than double (for example, K visa applications).

The New Non-immigrant Consulate Visa Fees

    (a) Non-petition-based nonimmigrant visa (except E              $140
     category)..........................................
    (b) H, L, O, P, Q and R category nonimmigrant visa..            $150
    (c) E category nonimmigrant visa....................            $390
    (d) K category nonimmigrant visa....................            $350
    (e) Border crossing card--age 15 and over (valid 10             $140
     years).............................................
    (f) Border crossing card--under age 15; for Mexican              $14
     citizens if parent or guardian has or is applying
     for a border crossing card (valid 10 years or until
     the applicant reaches age 15, whichever is sooner).

It should be noted that these fee increases apply to consular visa applications only.  The USCIS petition processing fees remain unaffected by this rule.

By | Last Updated: May 20th, 2010| Categories: Articles, Fees, News, Travel, Visa Processing|

About the Author: Dimo Michailov

Dimo Michailov
Dimo has over 15 years of experience in US immigration including employment-based immigration benefits, corporate compliance and family based immigration. He represents corporate and individual clients in a wide range of cross-border immigration matters including mobility of key foreign executives and managers, specialized knowledge workers, and foreign nationals with extraordinary ability.

The Capitol Immigration Law Group has been serving the business community for over 15 years and is one of the most widely respected immigration law firms focused solely on U.S. employment-based immigration.   Disclaimer:  we make all efforts to provide timely and accurate information; however, the information in this article may become outdated or may not be applicable to a specific set of facts.  It is not to be construed as legal advice.