United States

US embassy hikes visa application fees

James Patrick Cruz

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US embassy hikes visa application fees

US EMBASSY. Photo shows the US embassy consular section in Ermita, Manila on June 1, 2023.

US Embassy in the Philippines

(1ST UPDATE) The US State Department has raised visa application fees globally, says Consul General Mark McGovern

MANILA, Philippines – The United States embassy in the Philippines will increase fees for a number of non-immigrant visa applications starting June 17.

Those applying for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s) and other non-petition-based non-immigrant visas will have to pay $185 (P10,397) – or $25 (P1,405) more than previous rates.  Student and exchange visas fall under the non-petition-based non-immigrant visas.

Meanwhile, the application fee for certain petition-based, non-immigrant visas for temporary workers ((H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) has gone up from $190 (P10,678) to $205 (P11,521).

The application fee for a treaty trader or treaty investor (E category) has also increased from $205 (P11,521) to $315 (P17,703).

The fees for other consular services remain unchanged. The waiver of the two-year residency fee for certain exchange visitors also stays.

The embassy said applicants who have already paid a visa application fee that is valid and not expired, but who have not yet appeared for their visa interview or are waiting for their application to be processed, will not be charged additional fees as a result of the increases.

The last time the consular section implemented an increase for visa application fees was in 2011, Consul General Mark McGovern said on Thursday, June 1.  

“The increase of operating our facilities, the increase in shipping over, you know, visa foils. All these prices have gone up,” he said.

The consul said that the US State Department imposed this markup in visa application fees globally. – Rappler.com

$1 = P56.2 (as of June 2, 2023)

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