Effective April 13, 2012 the US Department of State will adjust visa processing fees, with most nonimmigrant visa fees to be increased, according to a notice released by the US Embassy in Hanoi yesterday.
Border crossing cards for people age 15 and older will cost $160 compared to the current $140, and those for people under age 15 will cost $15 instead of the present $14.
The US Embassy noted that though categories of nonimmigrant visa processing fees will increase, the fee for E visas (treaty-traders and treaty-investors) and K visas (for fiancé(e)s of US citizens) will decrease. Specifically, E and K visas will now cost $270 and $240 respectively, instead of their previous costs of $390 and $350.
It also added that because of the relocation costs associated with immigrant visas, all categories of immigrant visa processing fees will decrease.
Immediate relative and family preference applications, which cost $330 previously, will cost $230. The new fee for the Diversity Visa Program (also known as the Visa Lottery) will be reduced from $440 to $330 per person.
For employment-based applications, the new fee will drop from $720 to $405; and for other immigrant visa applications, the new fee will be $220, compared to the current $305.
Also, the fee on determining returning resident status will be reduced from the current $380 to $275.
Fee information may also be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website, travel.state.gov or the website of the U.S. Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City at http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov.
