The US has announced an increase in the fee for all categories of non-immigrant visas with effect from June 4. Applicants who purchased their receipts before June 4 will pay the balance between the old and new fees at the time of the interview.
All applicants for business or tourism (B-1/B-2) visas, crew member (C-1/D), student (F or M), or exchange (J) categories will now pay 140 dollars and receive a white receipt.
Applicants for petition-based work visas (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will now pay $150.
The H visa is 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 white and green receipts will still be purchased at approved HDFC Bank branches.
K (for fiance/fiancee of US citizen) applicants will now pay $350 and they will continue to pay their fees at the consular section of the US embassy / consulate.
The previous application fee was $131 for all visas.
The United States’ embassy here said the new two-tiered fee structure for non-immigrant visas coincides with a small global application fee increase, designed to balance the costs of recent enhancements to the visa application process.