October 10, 2002

Increase in Nonimmigrant Visa Application Fee

Effective November 1, 2002, the U.S. Department of State is raising the worldwide nonimmigrant visa fee from $65 to $100. The State Department says this adjustment is necessary to bring the fee in line with the actual costs of administering nonimmigrant visas services. The increase in the costs are due in part to added security screening procedures, restrictions on the role of support staff, and increases in management oversight of the processing of nonimmigrant visa applications. In addition, in light of a lowered applicant volume and the increased budget required to administer the Border Security Program, a fee of $100 is necessary to recover costs.