US Embassy to hike visa application fees

Beginning June 4, the United States Embassy will impose an additional $9 (about P420) on non-immigrant visa application fees, citing the "increasing cost of providing highest-quality service," an embassy statement issued on Tuesday said. Thus, visa application fees would increase from $130 to $140 for the following categories: tourist and business visas (B1 and B2 categories), seafarer and crew (C1 and D), student (F), and exchange visitor (J). Fees for work visas (categories H, L, O, P, Q, and R) would be $150. The embassy added that trader or investor visas (E) would climb to $390. For the category of spouse, fiancé, and fiancée (K), the fees would be $350. Payment for other non-immigrant categories would also be pegged at $140. The machine-readable visa (MRV) fees of the US would increase worldwide, not just in the Philippines. Those with appointment dates before June 4 would pay the current rate of $131. However, those with scheduled appointments on June 4 and the the succeeding dates must pay the new rates. "The Embassy requests that visa applicants who have already paid the MRV fee of $131 for an appointment scheduled after June 4 pay for the difference in fees at the same bank branch where they made the initial $131 payment," it said. "You will need to present both blue MRV fee receipts when you arrive at the Embassy... You will not be allowed to enter the Embassy for your interview unless the full MRV fee has been paid," it added. The embassy likewise said the conversion of visa applications to online form has nothing to do with the worldwide increas in visa application fees. Last May 24, applicants for US non-immigration visas started applying online as part of the embassy's thrust to promote green technologies. — Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMANews.TV