On March 28, 2023, the Department of State (DOS) issued a final rule raising most nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application processing fees and the fee for a Border Crossing Card for Mexican citizens aged 15 and over.  This rule will become effective on May 30, 2023. According to the DOS, the fees have been increased because the “the costs of providing nonimmigrant visa services have increased and therefore the current fees are not set a level sufficient to permit the Department to fully recover the costs of providing these services”. 

Below are the fee changes implemented by the rule: 

• The application processing fee for non-petition– based NIVs (except the E category) will be raised from $160 to $185. This group includes the TN category. 
• The application processing fee for H, L, O, P, Q, and R category NIVs will be raised from $190 to $205. 
• The fee for E category NIVs will be raised from $205 to $315. 
• The processing fee for Border Crossing Cards for Mexican citizens aged 15 and over will be raised from $160 to $185. 
• The fee for the J-1 exchange visitor waiver of the two-year residency requirement will be maintained at $120. 

The DOS stated that it will review NIV application fees every two years and will update them should a change in cost indicate a need to increase or decrease fees. Please note that these fee changes will affect most NIV applications, so we encourage you to review your immigration needs and plan accordingly. 

 Foster LLP will continue to track updates and news related to new immigration policies and programs and will make future updates via the firm’s website at www.fosterglobal.com.