On December 14, 2009, the Department of State published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to increase the nonimmigrant visa application processing fees, also called the Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee. 

The proposed rule also establishes a tiered structure with separate fees for different visa categories.  

The Department is required by law to recover the cost of processing nonimmigrant visas through the collection of the MRV fee.  Periodically, independent contractors conduct a Cost of Service Study to determine direct and indirect costs to the U.S. Government of providing consular services, such as nonimmigrant visas.  Such a study was completed in June 2009. 

The Study determined that the cost of accepting, adjudicating, and issuing nonimmigrant visas will be greater than $131 in Fiscal Year 2010, which began October 1, 2009.  Also, since the last fee increase in January 1, 2008, there have been new security-related costs, new IT systems have been put in place, and there is a new mandate from Congress to charge nonimmigrant visa applicants $1 to support programs to combat trafficking in persons.

The new tiered fee structure was created to cover the higher unit costs for processing certain categories of nonimmigrant visas that are more complicated and require more in-depth consideration than most other categories of nonimmigrant visas  U.S. law requires the Department to attempt to recover the cost of processing non-immigrant visas through the collection of the application fees. 

The new application fee for K visas for fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens would be $350.  

When will the new fee be in effect?The Department is proposing these new fees in a Federal Register notice, but will not implement them until it reviews and considers any comments received from the public and publishes a final rule.  Applicants must start paying the new processing fees once the Department publishes that second, final rule.

When the new fees go into affect, we will inform our clients.

To speak with an immigration attorney, call us at 626-771-1078.