Updated November 12, 2026

American visa application cost: consular visa fees and USCIS filing fees

A standard American tourist or student visa application requires the per-person State Department non-petition processing fee listed in the schedule below. Temporary work visas, fiancé visas, and green cards carry higher consular and domestic fees, and USCIS filing and biometric fees are nonrefundable.

Complete US visa and USCIS fee schedule

Your total American visa application cost depends on whether you apply only at a US embassy abroad or also file a petition domestically.

The Department of State sets consular visa fees in 22 CFR 22.1, including the nonimmigrant rates that took effect on May 30, 2023. USCIS sets domestic filing fees in 8 CFR Part 106 and Form G-1055, which took effect April 1, 2024, and updated October 28, 2026.

Every core consular visa fee, USCIS petition fee, and employer surcharge appears in the single schedule below.

Government visa and immigration filing fees from ecfr.gov, uscis.gov, and federalregister.gov, as of November 2026

Consular nonimmigrant visa fees, reciprocity, and exemptions

When you apply for a temporary visa abroad, the Department of State charges a per-person machine-readable visa processing fee under 22 CFR 22.1. Mexican citizens under age 15 qualify for a reduced Border Crossing Card fee if a parent or guardian has or applies for one.

In its March 28, 2023 final rule, the State Department confirmed that nonimmigrant processing fees do not change based on visa validity length. You pay the same processing fee for a one-year or ten-year visa, whether it grants a single entry or multiple entries.

Separate from the application fee, 22 CFR 22.1 Item 23 establishes a reciprocal nonimmigrant visa issuance fee, including for Border Crossing Cards. Item 24 exempts diplomatic applicants, foreign government representatives, UN transit travelers, US-government program participants, and approved charitable travelers from this issuance fee.

Under 22 CFR 22.1 Item 22, these categories pay no nonimmigrant visa processing fee:

• Diplomatic and international organization visa applicants in the A, G, C-3, and NATO categories
• J-1 and J-2 exchange visitors in US-government-sponsored educational and cultural exchanges
• Applicants receiving a replacement machine-readable visa when the original foil was defective or reissued through no fault of the applicant
• Travelers exempted by international agreement, including recognized United Nations observer mission members, staff, and immediate families
• Applicants traveling to provide charitable services as determined by the State Department
• US government employees on government business, and immediate relatives traveling for the funeral or emergency care of an employee injured in the line of duty

Green card costs: Consular Processing vs. Adjustment of Status

Green card applicants follow one of two payment tracks depending on whether they apply from abroad or inside the United States.

Worked comparison for a family-sponsored adult spouse: Abroad through Consular Processing, your sponsor first files Form I-130, paying less online than on paper. At the National Visa Center stage, you pay the domestic Affidavit of Support review fee and the family immigrant visa fee from the table. After visa issuance, you pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online so DHS processes your packet and mails your Green Card after US entry.

Inside the United States through Adjustment of Status, your sponsor files Form I-130 and you file Form I-485 with biometrics included. A child under age 14 pays a reduced Form I-485 rate with a parent, while Form I-864 and the USCIS Immigrant Fee cost nothing.

However, USCIS charges separate fees for interim work permits on Form I-765 and Advance Parole travel documents on Form I-131. While a paid Form I-485 is pending, Form I-765 costs one-half the standard paper rate, and the online reduction does not apply.

To get the lower online Form I-130 rate with a mailed Form I-485, file Form I-130 online first and mail the Form I-797 receipt. For adjustment applicants, USCIS charges no filing fee for Form I-693 when submitting the medical examination record from a designated civil surgeon.

Work visa petitions, employer surcharges, and third-party costs

Temporary work visas like H-1B, L-1, and O-1 require employer petition fees before a worker books a consular visa interview. The US employer pays DHS petition fees, while the worker overseas or a reimbursing employer pays the per-person consular application fee.

USCIS charges classification-specific Form I-129 base fees plus statutory surcharges based on company headcount and tax status:

• H-1B cap registration: Employers pay a separate registration fee per beneficiary for the annual cap selection, whether selected or not.
• Small employers and nonprofits: Under 8 CFR 106.1(f), firms with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent US workers and qualifying nonprofits pay reduced Form I-129 rates.
• No stacked reductions: Small employers and nonprofits receiving reduced Form I-129 or Form I-129CW rates cannot combine them with the online filing reduction.
• 25-beneficiary cap: Named worker petitions in the H-2A, H-2B, O, H-3, P, Q, and R categories allow at most 25 named workers per petition.
• Asylum Program Fee: Every Form I-129, Form I-129CW, and Form I-140 adds this surcharge, halved for small employers and zero for nonprofits.
• Fraud, ACWIA, and 50/50 surcharges: Qualifying petitions add anti-fraud and ACWIA training fees, plus extra H-1B or L-1 surcharges through September 30, 2027, for covered large employers.
• Extra out-of-pocket costs: Budget separately for student or exchange SEVIS fees, certified translations, police clearances, courier delivery, and optional Form I-907 Premium Processing measured in business days.

USCIS payment rules, check restrictions, and refund policy

Sending the right fee with the wrong payment method causes immediate USCIS Lockbox rejection. USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, business checks, cashier's checks, or money orders by mail unless you qualify and attach signed Form G-1651.

Form G-1651 exemptions cover only unbanked filers, 31 CFR Part 208 hardship, law enforcement or national security needs, or specific Treasury guidance. All other mail filers must place one electronic payment authorization type on top of their package:

• Form G-1450 for cards: Pay with a US-bank Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or prepaid card. USCIS rejects foreign-bank cards, gift cards, and cash.
• Form G-1650 for ACH: Authorize a US-bank checking or savings withdrawal. Give your bank your Lockbox Agency Location Code beforehand to clear debit blocks.
• Retry rules: USCIS never retries a declined credit card, and it retries an insufficient-funds ACH debit only once.
• Separate payment per form: Submit a separate Form G-1450 or Form G-1650 for each form in your envelope, and never mix both payment types.
• No refunds or chargebacks: Filing and biometric fees are nonrefundable. Disputing a card charge or bouncing payment voids your receipt and risks benefit revocation.

Online filing reductions, fee exemptions, and Form I-912 waivers

USCIS provides three ways to lower or eliminate domestic filing costs, while non-statutory fees can adjust at most once yearly for CPI-U inflation.

First, eligible forms filed online cost less than paper filings, though reduced pending-adjustment EADs, H-1B registrations, Premium Processing, TPS, and DACA are excluded.

Second, categorical fee exemptions make qualifying forms free through Form I-485 for VAWA self-petitioners, T and U victims, Special Immigrant Juveniles, refugees, and military members. Never send money or Form I-912 for a fee-exempt category, because USCIS warns it may intake and keep unneeded payments.

Third, low-income filers on eligible forms like Form N-400, I-90, I-751, or non-DACA I-765 can mail paper Form I-912 to request a waiver. You qualify via a household means-tested benefit, income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or financial hardship. Naturalization applicants up to 400 percent of the guidelines pay half on Form N-400, while Public Law 119-21 statutory fees cannot be waived.

5-step pre-payment checklist to avoid rejected filings

Work through this 5-step plan from our team before you pay a consular fee or seal a USCIS Lockbox envelope:

• Step 1: Check your current fee and form edition on Form G-1055 on filing day, since USCIS removed fees from individual form instructions.
• Step 2: File Form I-130 online first and wait for your Form I-797 receipt if you want the online rate with a paper Form I-485.
• Step 3: Complete one separate Form G-1450 or Form G-1650 for every benefit form and non-waivable surcharge, using one payment method per envelope.
• Step 4: Confirm your card or account is at a US bank, fits Treasury daily card limits, and whitelists your Lockbox Agency Location Code.
• Step 5: Keep fee receipts, petition numbers, and exact trip or study budgets aligned with your DS-160 for funding questions at your interview.

Practice example

Who is paying for your trip to the United States, and how are you covering all of your travel and visa expenses?

Preparation guidance from our team, not a script to recite: State in one or two sentences whether you pay yourself or use a sponsor. Give truthful facts matching your Form DS-160, including your job and yearly income or your sponsor's relationship, job, and income. Know your round-trip airfare, lodging plan, and total trip budget for the exact number of days listed on your application. If an employer or relative covers your visa fee or travel costs, know their legal status and why they are paying. Keep recent bank statements, salary slips, or sponsor tax records organized in your folder, and hand them over only if the officer asks.

The consular officer checks that you can afford the visit without unauthorized US work and that your spoken facts match Form DS-160.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.