U.S. Non-Immigrant visa application fees to increase from June

Application fees for U.S.non-immigrant visas will increase on June 4, 2010 and will affect all applicants for non-immigrant visas worldwide, states the US Embassy in Colombo.

New fees were recently announced by the U.S. Department of State and marked the first increase in non-immigrant visa application fees in two and a half years. The cost will now better reflect the cost of adjudicating different categories of visas.

Application fees for the business (B1), tourist (B2), student (F), and exchange visitor (J) visas, those most often applied for by travelers, will have a modest increase to $140 (Rs. 16,100).

The visa application fees for Temporary Workers (H), Intra-company Transferees (L), Extraordinary Ability applicants (O), Performers (P), Cultural Exchange participants (Q), and Religious Workers (R) will increase to $150 (Rs. 17,300).  The visas application fees for Treaty Traders/Investors (E) will increase to $390 (Rs. 44,900).  The visa application fee for fiancées of American citizens (K) will be $350 (Rs. 40,300). All other non-immigrant visa categories will have an application fee of $140 (Rs. 16,100).

This new fee will be in effect for non-immigrant visa application interviews/payments from June 4, 2010. The U.S. Embassy only accepts payment in the form of bank drafts. Visa fee payment drafts should be drawn on a Sri Lankan bank made out to “U.S. Embassy Colombo”.