DOS Changes Fees for Visa and Citizenship Services

Effective September 6, 2014, the Department of State is amending the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services for certain nonimmigrant visa application processing fees, certain immigrant visa application processing and special visa services fees, and certain citizenship services fees.  Included are two categories of petition-based nonimmigrant visas and the tiered application processing fees for immigrant visas.  The interim final rule also amends the security surcharge for immigrant visa services and the fees for certain immigrant visa services.  Lastly, the rule raises the application processing fee for renunciation of U.S. citizenship and lowers the hourly consular officer time charge.  The Department of State said it is adjusting the fees in light of the findings of a recent Cost of Service study to ensure that the fees for consular services better align with the costs of providing those services.  

Some of the changes include:

• The processing fee for E treaty trader and treaty investor visa applications will decrease from $270 to $205. 
• The processing fee for an employment-based visa application (based on an approved 
I-140 alien worker or I-526 alien entrepreneur petition) will decrease from $405 to $345. 
• Other immigrant visa application fees (including for I-360 self-petitioners, special immigrant visa applicants, and all others) will decrease from $220 to $205. 
• Certain qualifying Iraqi and Afghan special immigrant visa applicants are statutorily exempt from paying any visa-related fees. 
• The Immigrant Visa Security Surcharge, paid by all applicants except those who are statutorily exempted from paying fees, will increase from $75 to $100. 
• The fee for processing an application for waiver of the two-year residence requirement for J-1 exchange visitors will decrease from $215 to $120. 
• The affidavit of support fee will increase from $88 to $120. 
• The fee for processing renunciation of U.S. citizenship requests will increase from $450 to $2,350.

 Comments on the interim final rule, which was published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2014, are due by October 21, 2014.  The rule, which includes information on additional fee changes and the rationale for the changes, is available at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/08/28/2014-20516/schedule-of-fees-for-consular-services-department-of-state-and-overseas-embassies-and.