Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 13) — The United States government will increase globally the application processing fees for some non-immigrant visa applications (NIV), including for tourists and students, starting May 30.
An advisory by the US Embassy in Manila states that the application fee for visitor visas for business and tourism and other non-petition visas, such as for students and exchange visitors, will be increased from $160 (₱9,280) to $185 (about ₱10,194).
Meanwhile, the application fee for certain petition-based non-immigrant visas for temporary workers has increased from $190 (₱11,020) to $205 (around ₱11,296).
Among the categories covered are the following:
H: Temporary Workers/Employment or Trainees
L: Intra-company Transferees
O: Persons with Extraordinary Ability
P: Athletes, Artists, and Entertainers
Q: International Cultural Exchange
R: Religious Worker
The application fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicant in a specialty occupation was also raised from $205 (₱11,890) to $315 (roughly ₱17,357).
The current fees are based on the set consular exchange rate of ₱58:$1 until April 18.
Other consular fees remain the same, including the waiver of the two-year residency required fee for certain exchange visitors, the US Embassy added.
“Applicants who have already paid a visa application fee that is currently valid and non-expired, but who have not yet appeared for their visa interview or are waiting for their case to be processed, will not be charged any additional fees,” the advisory read.
Moreover, the US Department of State said non-immigrant visa application fees are set based “on the actual cost of providing NIV services and are determined after conducting a study of the cost of these services.”
\”The Department of State is committed to facilitating legitimate travel to the United States for both immigrant and nonimmigrant travelers,” it said.
\”Visas for work and tourism are essential to President Biden’s foreign policy, and we recognize the critical role international travel plays in the U.S. economy,\” the department added.
