US to raise non-immigrant visa fees from June 4

24 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Bss, Dhaka

The US Department of State will increase nonimmigrant visa application fees from June 4, a press release of the US Embassy in the city said yesterday. The current $131 fee is lower than the current, actual cost of processing nonimmigrant visas. Applicants for all visas that are not petition-based, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchange visitor visas, will pay a fee of $150. These categories include H visa for temporary workers and trainees, L visa for intra-company transferees, O visa for aliens with extraordinary ability, P visa for athletes, artists and entertainers, Q visa for international cultural exchange visitors and R visa for religious occupations. The application fee for K visas for fianc,(e)s of US citizens will be $350 and the fee for E visas for treaty-traders and treaty-investors will be $390. All nonimmigrant visa applicants with interview appointments scheduled on or after June 4 will be required to pay the new visa application fees. Nonimmigrant visa applicants who have paid the previous fee of $131 and whose interview date is no or after June 4 may pay the difference at the US Embassy on their interview date. US Embassy Consul General Sandra Ingram in the press release said nonimmigrant visa application fees will increase due to rising costs for providing visa services.