Cost of US tourist, student visas to rise from May 30 - All you need to know
2 min read . Updated: 09 Apr 2023, 12:25 AM IST
PremiumThe fee will change for several visa categories - including visitor visas for business or tourism and non-petition based visas for students and exchange visitors.
US visa costs are set to rise from next month as processing fees for certain categories rise. According to a recent update from the US department of state, the hike - ranging from $15 to $110 - will come into effect from March 30 and apply to tourist or business as well as student and exchange visitor visas.
“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," read the official government release.
Fees will also change for certain petition-based nonimmigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories), rising from $190 to $205.
The fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicants in a specialty occupation (E category) will increase from $205 to $315.
“Other consular fees are not affected by this rule, including the waiver of the two-year residency required fee for certain exchange visitors," the state department added.
In recent months the US has made extensive attempts to cut down on visa wait time. According to State Department officials steps are also being taken for the launch of a pilot project in the next few months for stamping certain categories of H-1B visas inside the country.
The wait time for Indians applying for work visas ranges from 60-280 days. For travellers it is approximately around one and a half years. The embassy adjudicated over 1,25,000 student visas last year - a record number for Indians - and expects even more Indian students to apply this year.
Towards the end of January, Mumbai Consular Chief John Ballard had said that the US embassy and its consulates in India plan to process a "record" number of visas for Indians this year.
(With inputs from agencies)