VISA NEWS

Application Fees for Non-Immigrant Visas to Increase on january 1, 2008

Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa will increase from $100 to $131.  This increase allows the Department to recover the costs of security and other enhancements to the non-immigrant visa application process.  This increase applies both to non-immigrant visas issued on machine-readable foils in passports and to border crossing cards issued to certain applicants in Mexico. 

Applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee before January 1 will be processed only if they are scheduled and appear for a visa interview before January 31.  Applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee and appear for visa interviews after January 31, 2008 must pay the difference -- $31 -- before they will be interviewed.

The Department is required by law to recover the cost of processing non-immigrant visas through the collection of the Machine-Readable Visa application fee. Because of new security-related costs, new information technology systems, and inflation, the $100 Machine-Readable Visa fee is lower than the actual cost of processing non-immigrant visas.  In fact, the $100 fee was already lower than the cost of processing non-immigrant visas when the fee was reviewed as a part of the cost of service study in 2004.  The Department has been absorbing the additional cost.  We are now collecting 10 fingerprints from each applicant, and the cost charged by the FBI to review those fingerprints no longer allow us to do this.  The application fee has increased twice since 9/11, the last time in 2002.   

CONSULAR SECTION NO LONGER ACCEPTS $100 BILLS

In order to reduce the risk of accepting counterfeit bills, the Consular Section of the American Consulate General in Guayaquil no longer accepts $100 bills.

US-VISIT

US-Visit is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security program that enhances the U.S.'s entry and exit tracking system. It enables the United States to effectively verify the identity of incoming visitors and confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies. For more information about the US-VISIT program please visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website.

STUDY IN THE UNITED STATES

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is pleased to announce the formal launch of EDUCATIONUSA a new website devoted to the promotion of U.S. higher education. The internet address of the new website is http://educationusa.state.gov/.  The objective of the new website is to provide information about studying in the United States to prospective students living in other nations that will help them be successful in their quest for further education. A part from link to accredited colleges and universities in the United States, the new website also provides information about visas, including a link to DESTINATIONUSA http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/ the DHS/DOS site designed explain current visa and security procedures.

At educationusa.state.gov prospective student can quickly and easily find an advising center located in the country in which they reside. They will also find answers to questions about admission and financial aid, among other topics, and even a search engine to help find the institutions that can best meet their needs.

F, J, AND M VISAS

To all recipients of an F, M, or J visitor visa:
Please be aware that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security prohibits holders of F, M, or J non-immigrant visas from being admitted into the United States more than thirty days before the beginning of their program start date. The program start date is indicated on Form I-20 (for F or M visas) or Form DS-2019 (for J visas). Please remember this when making travel plans to the United States.  For SEVIS information please click here