There’s bad news for foreigners who want U.S. visas for tourism, business or work

Millions of foreigners from around the globe who yearn for a U.S. visa stamped on their passports will have to pay more to be able to travel here.

The U.S. Department of State confirmed that the nonimmigrant U.S. visa fee, known by its acronym NIV, will increase on Saturday, June 17, 2023.

The confirmation alert was issued after the State Department was forced to delay the hike in consular services fees originally set for May 30.

Because the final rule raising visa application processing costs was not delivered to the U.S. Senate until April 17, the department postponed the increase to “provide a 60-day delay in the effective date after receipt of the final rule in the Congress,” it said in the Federal Register.

The rule increases the cost for most NIV consular fees, including visas for tourism, business, student, exchange visitor and temporary workers, as well as the Border Crossing Card for Mexican citizens.

How much will nonimmigrant U.S. visas increase after June 17?

Nonimmigrant visa application processing fees are organized by visa category.

Effective Saturday, June 17, consular services nonimmigrant and special visa prices will be as follows:

▪ Visitor visas B1/B2 for business or tourism and other non-petition based visas such as student and exchange visitor (F, M and J visas) will increase from $160 to $185.

▪ Application processing fees for temporary workers visas under the H, L, O, P, Q and R categories will be raised from $190 to $205.

▪ Category E visas for treaty trader, treaty investor and treaty applicants in a specialty occupation will increase from $205 to $315.

In a news release, the Department of State said that “NIV fees are set based on the actual cost of providing NIV services and are determined after conducting a study of the cost of these services.”

The Bureau of Consular Affairs also noted that the visa rule “does not change any other fees, including the fee to apply for a waiver of the two-year residency requirement for certain exchange visitors.”

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