Effective January 1, 2008, the US Department of State will be implementing an increase in visa application fees. It is not clear at this point whether those who have already submitted payment to the National Visa Center will be subject to this increase. This announcement by US immigration officials will affect both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants.
Please note that processing fees for non-immigrant visas, including K-1 fiancee, K-3 spousal and B1/B2 visitor visas will increase from $100 to $131.
Fees will also increase for those applying for immigrant visas under the US family immigration category. Those seeking to obtain a spousal visa (CR1 visa) or a relative visa of any other type based on an approved I-130 petition will now be charged an additional $20.
In part, these increases are due to the fees charged by the FBI to conduct background checks for those entering the US, which is an essential component of the records clearance process. The cost of maintaining present systems has also been cited as a factor.