Did New Visa Fee's take effect yet?

[kabhatti 2]

My girl's got an interview on Monday, just wondering how much she needs to prepare for.

[az110965 252]

Just checked the DOS website - still showing $131 visa fee as of today's date.

Best of luck for the interview.

Alan

[bainbridge558 0]

was wondering the same thing.

[kabhatti 2]

Just checked the DOS website - still showing $131 visa fee as of today's date.

Best of luck for the interview.

Alan

Thanks, hoping many more of us can slide through the "bargain" price.

[az110965 252]

Rest assured that the interview fee will not increase until the day before my fiancee's interview.... LOL.

Alan

[dakay ♥ 10]

yesterday I paid US$131 dollars. Best wishes in your interview next monday, I'll have it the same day too

[kabhatti 2]

yesterday I paid US$131 dollars. Best wishes in your interview next monday, I'll have it the same day too

Thanks much and Good luck to you as well!

[NatPatBen 3]

Rest assured that the interview fee will not increase until the day before my fiancee's interview.... LOL.

Alan

[bainbridge558 0]

Rest assured that the interview fee will not increase until the day before my fiancee's interview.... LOL.

Alan

EXACTLY what I was thinking Alan !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Da Bears 0]

what are they increasing to?

[Audy_Rob 26]

what are they increasing to?

When the increase occurs, it will be to $350. At least that is what has been mentioned. That is quite an increase.

Good luck to all that have interviews coming up.

[When2RNLove 6]

what are they increasing to?

For the K-1, $350.

[GJen 9]

For the K-1, $350.

$350.00 will be due at the interview? If I remember right it's $455 to send with I-129F.. anybody have a general estimate of the entire cost of the whole visa process? I know there's AOS and all that after while, but just a general figure and over what period of time?

[HeatDeath 430]

In Canada, they make you pay for the interview well in advance. They give you a form (or a url to download it from anyways) in your Packet 3, and tell you to take 3 copies of the form to any branch of a particular bank (Scotiabank, as it happens). You give the bank the forms and $131. The bank keeps one copy of the form, stamps the two others, and gives them back to you. You have to bring the forms to your interview as proof that you paid, and the consulate will refuse to interview you, let alone approve you, if you don't have them.

Because the interview fee and the process for paying it is embedded in the Packet 3, I don't think the fee increase, when it occurs, will be a surprise sprung on anyone whose application is in process. You won't show up at the interview and suddenly they want another $220, or any such nonsense.

What will happen is that the threshold date will pass, the fee increase will take effect, and any petitions received from NVC after that will get a revised Packet 3 with the higher price listed. As I said, I don't think it will be sprung on anyone with an in-process visa application at the consulate.

Edited March 7, 2010 by HeatDeath

[HeatDeath 430]

$350.00 will be due at the interview? If I remember right it's $455 to send with I-129F.. anybody have a general estimate of the entire cost of the whole visa process? I know there's AOS and all that after while, but just a general figure and over what period of time?

It's difficult to estimate. Many of the costs will vary wildly from country to country and from US city to US city, and from case to case.

Here are the fixed, universal costs:

$455 for the I-129F application.

$131 for the consulate interview. (May be increasing to maybe $350. No one knows when or by just how much yet,)

$1010 for AOS.

$600-$700ish for RoC, and

$700-$800ish for naturalization.

None of which includes postage, costs of photocopying documents, travel and lodging to get to your interview. You need to add another couple of hundred for your medical. Another $30-$100 to get your vaccinations transcribed to an I-693 after you arrive but before AOS. Then there's the costs for moving, and the implicit cost of not working for several months after you arrive in the US until your EAD shows up. Throw in some more for importing and registering your car, if applicable, and getting a driver's license. Then there's time off work for the later interviews and the oath ceremony, more photocopying, etc.

All of the latter of which, as I said, will vary wildly from circumstance to circumstance, but end up being quite significant.

Trying to calculate a total cost for the whole process is like trying to measure the length of the coastline of Great Britain. The higher detail you try to measure at, the larger it gets, until you are trying to include every nook, cranny and tidal pool, and you get a figure a thousand miles longer than you would reasonably have expected. When you try to budget everything, you get a figure of ten thousand dollars, easy.

Figure $5000 to $10000, all told, easily, by the time all is said and done. Fortunately the first big chunk (I-129F to AOS + moving expenses) is spread out over a period of about a year, and the rest is spread out over the next 3-5 years.