August 2010
New $14 fee for Visa Waiver Entry
U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced an interim final rule that amends Department of Homeland Security regulations to require travelers from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to pay operational and travel promotion fees when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Beginning September 8, a fee of $4 will recover the costs incurred by CBP of providing and administering the ESTA system and is in addition to the mandatory $10 travel promotion fee established by the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, enacted as Section 9 of Public Law 111-145, the United States Capitol Police Administrative Technical Corrections Act of 2009.
The total fee for a new or renewed ESTA will be $14.
All payments for electronic travel authorization applications must be made by credit card or debit card when applying for or renewing an ESTA.
ESTA is an electronic travel authorization that all nationals of VWP countries must obtain prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the United States under the VWP. The VWP is administered by DHS and enables eligible nationals of 36 designated countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.
ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. Once approved, authorizations are generally valid for multiple entries into the U.S. for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires or other specific circumstances give rise to a need to reapply, whichever comes first.
July 2010
Visa Processing in China
Residents of China may apply for a non-immigrant visa at any U.S. Consular Section in China, regardless of the province or city of residence. There are Consular Sections at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the U.S. Consulates General in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang.
Although the basic application process is the same, specific times and application procedures at each visa issuing office can vary. Before applying for a visa, applicants should check each post's web site for procedures specific to that post.
June 2010
New Nonimmigrant Application Fees:
Starting June 4, 2010, the U.S. Department of State (USDOS) will implement their new fee schedule for U.S. visas.
Historically, there was a flat rate charged for most types of visas (last rate increase was $ 131 for all nonimmigrant visas).
However, now, the USDOS has started a tiered system as follows:
Nonimmigrant visa application and border crossing card processing fees (per person):
- Nonimmigrant visa application processing fee :
- Non-petition-based nonimmigrant visa (except E): $140.00
- H, L, O, P, Q and R category visa: $150.00
- E category visa: $390.00
- K category visa: $350.00
- Border crossing card fees:
- Border crossing card - age 15 and over (Valid 10 years): $140.00
- Border crossing card - under age 15; for Mexican citizens if parent or guardian has or is applying for a border crossing card (valid 10 years or until the applicant reaches age 15, whichever is sooner): $14.00