K1 interview fee: 350 a pop

[JlovesA 109]

When we get married, I do NOT want to be separated anymore! I love him dearly

Maybe that's a silly thing to put on a $1000 premium to do it that way, but over the span of a lifetime, it's not that much.

That's exactly why we're filing for K1...we don't want to be separated while married. We're also planning to get married the day or the day after the POE so that we'll start our married life and living together life at the same time. Not for religious regions, but because we can and we want to.

[pushbrk 12,877]

What makes the visa application fee "fair" is that it represents the cost of processing the visa application (including the interview). What would be "unfair" is to continue to have this cost supplemented by tax dollars from people not requiring the service. That we don't like something, does not make it unfair. That one thing costs more or less than another thing results in unequal costs, not unfair costs.

The idea that from filing to green card, the fiance process has higher total government fees, so it's "unfair" is ridiculous. The process isn't the same, so the fees are different. I would call the difference in petition filing fees "unfair" in that the service is the same but the fee is different. I expect the I-130 filing fee to go up soon too but these things tend to happen independently.

On a further note, the $350 visa application fee should be $400 like the immigrant visa application fee because the service is the same. It's an expensive process with "travel" not "fees" as the biggest budget item in all but border town couples' cases.

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

What makes the visa application fee "fair" is that it represents the cost of processing the visa application (including the interview). What would be "unfair" is to continue to have this cost supplemented by tax dollars from people not requiring the service. That we don't like something, does not make it unfair. That one thing costs more or less than another thing results in unequal costs, not unfair costs.

The idea that from filing to green card, the fiance process has higher total government fees, so it's "unfair" is ridiculous. The process isn't the same, so the fees are different. I would call the difference in petition filing fees "unfair" in that the service is the same but the fee is different. I expect the I-130 filing fee to go up soon too but these things tend to happen independently.

I agree completely.

You know the costs before the first documents are filed.. The only surprises in this process are the results of medical examinations, interviews, and somewhat variable processing intervals. Asking people to pay for the services they consume is infinitely more equitable than the alternative. Think of it this way, you will only pay for your K1 interview, not for mine or the countless others that will follow.

On a more sunny note, I hope that everyone gets full value for their fees!

[pushbrk 12,877]

You know the costs before the first documents are filed..

Usually, yes but in this case the visa application fee went up AFTER many petitions were already filed or even approved. Going forward, this fee is part of the known or "knowable" prior to filing. People prepared to pay $131 are now surprised at the last minute with costs they could not budget for. Saying that isn't fair is a waste of breath or typing.

You know the costs before the first documents are filed..

Usually, yes but in this case the visa application fee went up AFTER many petitions were already filed or even approved. Going forward, this fee is part of the known or "knowable" prior to filing. People prepared to pay $131 are now surprised at the last minute with costs they could not budget for. Saying that isn't fair is a waste of breath or typing.