Cost of US Tourist, Student Visas to Increase Starting 30 May: Here's Why

A US State Department said that the hike will apply to tourist, business, a student and exchange visitor visas.

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The cost of United States visas are set to increase from May 2023, after the US State Department said that processing fees for some categories will rise.
A state department update said that the hike, which will range from $15 to $110, will come into effect from 30 May and apply to tourist and business visitors, as well a student and exchange visitor visas.

The visa categories affected by the rise in prices are: 

• B1: Business; Domestic employee or nanny - must be accompanying a foreign national employer

• B2: Tourism, vacation, pleasure visitor

• H: Work visas

• L: Intra-company transferee

• O: Foreign national with extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or Athletics

• P: Performing athlete, artist, entertainer

• Q: International cultural exchange visitor

• R: Religious worker

• E: Treaty trader/treaty investor

“The fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2), and other non-petition based NIVs such as student and exchange visitor visas, will increase from $160 to $185," the official release read.

The fee will also change for some petition-based nonimmigrant visas for temporary workers, who are a part of the H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories, increasing from $190 to $205.

Moreover, the fee for a treaty trader, investor and applicants in a specialty occupation, a part of the E category, will rise from $205 to $315. 

However, the state department added, “Other consular fees are not affected by this rule, including the waiver of the two-year residency required fee for certain exchange visitors.”

The US State Department has made several attempts to try and cut down on visa wait time and have also taken steps to launch a pilot project in the new few months, where certain categories of the H1-B visa are stamped inside the country.