After the attacks of September 11th revealed serious problems in the processes by which visas are issued, one of the responses was that the State Department conducted more extensive background checks on visa applicants. This, of course, has increased the costs, so the State Department this week announced that it was raising the fee charged for processing nonimmigrant visas from $65 to $100. According to the notice announcing the fee increase, despite a drop in the number of visas issued, the increase in the labor going into processing the applications has created a financial burden.
This fee was increased earlier this year, on June 1, from $50 to $65. This fee increase was based on an estimate of 10.5 million nonimmigrant visa being issued each year. Since then, the application rate has dropped by nearly 20 percent. Indeed, the projected nonimmigrant visa processing budget is expected to be $210 million less than needed in fiscal year 2003. Because there is no way to predict when the application rate will return to the level before the terrorist attacks, the State Department believes it is reasonable to raise the fee now, especially as additional security measures need to be paid for.
The increase, which is being adopted as an emergency measure, will go into effect on November 1, 2002.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. The information provided in this article has not been updated since its original posting and you should not rely on it until you consult counsel to determine if the content is still valid. We keep older articles online because it helps in the understanding of the development of immigration law.