Application Fees for Non-Immigrant Visas to Increase On January 1, 2008

[ScottnCati 0]

Hi ALL

We found this on the State Dept Site today

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/dec/97384.htm

Application Fees for Non-Immigrant Visas to Increase On January 1, 2008

Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. non-immigrant visa will increase from $100 to $131. This increase allows the Department to recover the costs of security and other enhancements to the non-immigrant visa application process. This increase applies both to non-immigrant visas issued on machine-readable foils in passports and to border crossing cards issued to certain applicants in Mexico.

Applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee before January 1 will be processed only if they are scheduled and appear for a visa interview before January 31. Applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee and appear for visa interviews after January 31, 2008 must pay the difference -- $31 -- before they will be interviewed.

The Department is required by law to attempt to recover the cost of processing non-immigrant visas through the collection of the Machine-Readable Visa application fee. Because of new security-related costs, new information technology systems, and inflation, the $100 Machine-Readable Visa fee is lower than the actual cost of processing non-immigrant visas. In fact, the $100 fee was already lower than the cost of processing non-immigrant visas when the fee was reviewed as a part of the cost of service study in 2004. The Department has been absorbing the additional cost. We are now collecting 10 fingerprints from each applicant, and the cost charged by the FBI to review those fingerprints no longer allows us to do this. The application fee has increased twice since September 11, 2001, the last time in 2002.

[Dias Melhores 0]

Hi ALL

We found this on the State Dept Site today

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/dec/97384.htm

Application Fees for Non-Immigrant Visas to Increase On January 1, 2008

Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. non-immigrant visa will increase from $100 to $131. This increase allows the Department to recover the costs of security and other enhancements to the non-immigrant visa application process. This increase applies both to non-immigrant visas issued on machine-readable foils in passports and to border crossing cards issued to certain applicants in Mexico.

Applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee before January 1 will be processed only if they are scheduled and appear for a visa interview before January 31. Applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee and appear for visa interviews after January 31, 2008 must pay the difference -- $31 -- before they will be interviewed.

The Department is required by law to attempt to recover the cost of processing non-immigrant visas through the collection of the Machine-Readable Visa application fee. Because of new security-related costs, new information technology systems, and inflation, the $100 Machine-Readable Visa fee is lower than the actual cost of processing non-immigrant visas. In fact, the $100 fee was already lower than the cost of processing non-immigrant visas when the fee was reviewed as a part of the cost of service study in 2004. The Department has been absorbing the additional cost. We are now collecting 10 fingerprints from each applicant, and the cost charged by the FBI to review those fingerprints no longer allows us to do this. The application fee has increased twice since September 11, 2001, the last time in 2002.

Nice catch. Thanks for sharing!

[Jesse and Hema 2]

well.... bummer...

[Zee Bee 61]

Whats another $31

[ChrisB0707 4]

Whats another $31

The 31.00 is not the point. Point is the fees keep going up and the process still takes so long. The US can spend so much money on a war that should have never been our problem and use our taxes to do it. Then charge us so much to be with the ones we love and make the process so long

[Texanadian 10]

10 fingerprints? All I did was put my index finger in there.

That's a 31% increase in cost.

[zqt3344 21]

Thank you GW BUSH! Only 1 more year until he is gone, maybe people will think more this time when they vote for the next president instead of electing another moron. This sucks for everyone, higher fees and no faster results. Typical GW Bush style. Wonderful.

Whats another $31

The 31.00 is not the point. Point is the fees keep going up and the process still takes so long. The US can spend so much money on a war that should have never been our problem and use our taxes to do it. Then charge us so much to be with the ones we love and make the process so long

[Ben loves Yuki 0]

Wow! My interview will be on 3 January, so does that mean I can still pay $100?

[DanielParul 50]

Typical!!! They keep increasing the fee to improve the services and it keeps getting more complicated

[SHELLYandFCO 0]

Wow! My interview will be on 3 January, so does that mean I can still pay $100?

If you have not already paid the fee prior to 1/1/08, you will pay $131.00. If you have paid the fee prior to 1/1/08 and have your interview before 1/31/08, you will pay $100.

Don't feel bad....we paid the $100 visa fee, then learned an I-601 waiver was required. Once the I-601 was filed and approved (8 long months) , we had to pay the $100 visa fee again!

Edited December 16, 2007 by SHELLYandFCO

[Ahmed N Cheryl 0]

Wow! My interview will be on 3 January, so does that mean I can still pay $100?

If you paid $100 already it states if your interview takes place after January 31, 2008 you have to pay the difference ($31) before you will be allowed to interview. Ahmed is going tomorrow to pay our $100 to CIB and then to DHL to mail our Packet 3 to the embassy. Wish us luck in getting an interview date before January 31, 2008. Good Luck.

Cheryl

Edited December 26, 2007 by Ahmed N Cheryl

[Queen Jenn 0]

Well, we'll sure be stuck with the new fee. We're stuck with ALL the new fee increases

But he's worth it. I'd spend every last penny to get him here

[ChrisB0707 4]

Well, we'll sure be stuck with the new fee. We're stuck with ALL the new fee increases

But he's worth it. I'd spend every last penny to get him here

I know how you feel. When we love someone the cost doesnt matter but it would be nice if the process got better from the increase

[athena_ny 1]

K-1 visas are not the only non-immigrant visas. F-1, B-1, B-2 - honestly, I'd rather have the nonimmigrants paying an extra 31 than seeing AOS and Removal of Conditions keep doubling every few years. As far as I'm concerned, K-1/K-3 shouldn't even be concerned non-immigrant visas, but what the hell do I know.

[pushbrk 12,883]

K-1 visas are not the only non-immigrant visas. F-1, B-1, B-2 - honestly, I'd rather have the nonimmigrants paying an extra 31 than seeing AOS and Removal of Conditions keep doubling every few years. As far as I'm concerned, K-1/K-3 shouldn't even be concerned non-immigrant visas, but what the hell do I know.

A person with an immigrant visa enters the US with permanent resident status.

K1 and K3 visas are non-immigrant visas with a path to permanent residence through status adjustment. (K1 requires marriage to the petitioner within 90 days of entry AND status adjustment.)

Relatively small percentages but fairly large numbers of K visa holders never adjust status to permanent resident, for one reason or another, thus they don't ever become legal "immigrants".