Updated November 12, 2026

American visa application fee: complete State Department and USCIS schedule

The American visa application fee for B1/B2 visitor, F-1 student, and other non-petition temporary visas is the base Department of State fee below. Petition-based work visas and permanent resident visas add separate USCIS petition and card fees. Use the unified schedule below to find every fee you or your sponsor must pay.

Complete American visa application fee schedule

Two federal agencies collect fees during the United States visa process. The Department of State collects consular visa processing fees under 22 CFR 22.1 when you apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) collects domestic petition fees, adjustment of status fees, and the Green Card production fee under 8 CFR 106.2 and Form G-1055. Under 8 CFR 106.1(g), filing an eligible USCIS form online lowers the paper fee by the online reduction shown in the table below.

This schedule lists the consular and USCIS fees, who pays each charge, and when payment is due.

Fees from ecfr.gov, uscis.gov (Form G-1055), and federalregister.gov, as of November 2026

Nonimmigrant DS-160 visa fees vs. visa issuance reciprocity fees

When you apply for a temporary visa with Form DS-160, you pay the nonimmigrant application processing fee in Item 21 of 22 CFR 22.1 before scheduling your interview. Non-petition categories like B1/B2, F, M, and J sit in the lowest tier, while petition-based workers, K fiance(e)s, and E treaty applicants pay higher category rates.

Every applicant, including infants and children, pays the full per-person fee for their visa category. Under 22 CFR 22.1, the only age-reduced nonimmigrant rate is for a Mexican citizen under age 15 applying for a Border Crossing Card with a qualifying parent or guardian.

The application fee is separate from the Nonimmigrant Visa Issuance Fee, also called the reciprocity fee, under Item 23 of 22 CFR 22.1. You pay a reciprocity fee only after your visa is approved, and only if your nationality and visa classification require one.

Employer vs. worker costs for H-1B, L-1, and O-1 work visas

For petition-based work visas, the government splits fees between the U.S. employer filing with USCIS and the worker applying at a consulate. Under 8 CFR 106.1(f), USCIS sets lower petition and Asylum Program fees for small employers with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent U.S. employees (including affiliates and subsidiaries) and for qualifying nonprofits, schools, universities, and governmental research organizations.

In its March 21, 2024 Federal Register correction to 8 CFR 106.2, DHS confirmed that the online filing fee reduction does not combine with small-employer or nonprofit rates on Forms I-129 and I-129CW. It also does not apply to the H-1B registration fee or the Asylum Program Fee.

• What the employer pays to USCIS: The employer pays the Form I-129 base fee, the Asylum Program Fee (zero for nonprofits), and any statutory surcharges in the table above. Initial and change-of-employer H-1B and L-1 petitions add the Fraud Prevention Fee, H-1B and H-1B1 petitions add the ACWIA fee unless exempt, and employers with 50 or more U.S. staff where more than 50 percent hold H-1B or L-1 status pay the Public Law 114-113 surcharge through September 30, 2027.
• H-1B court order update: On June 8, 2026, a federal court vacated agency guidance for an extra H-1B payment in State of California v. Mullin, and on July 24, 2026, the First Circuit denied a stay. USCIS complies with that order while reviewing next steps.
• What the worker pays at the consulate: After USCIS approves Form I-129, the worker files Form DS-160 and pays the petition-based consular visa fee. Principal applicants applying abroad under an L-1 blanket petition (Form I-129S) also pay the blanket Fraud Prevention Fee at the consulate.

Immigrant visa fees, adjustment of status, and the USCIS Immigrant Fee

Permanent residence follows two different fee tracks depending on where you apply. If you live abroad, your sponsor first pays USCIS to file a petition such as Form I-130 or Form I-140. Once approved, you pay the Department of State immigrant visa fee for your category plus the domestic Affidavit of Support review fee when applicable.

After the embassy issues your visa, you must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online so USCIS can produce and mail your Green Card. USCIS strongly encourages paying after you pick up your visa and before you travel to the United States. A relative, friend, employer, or representative can also pay online using your Alien Number (the letter A followed by 8 or 9 numbers) and DOS Case ID (3 letters and 9 or 10 numbers, or 4 numbers, 2 letters, and 5 numbers for Diversity Visa immigrants).

If you do not pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee, you still become a permanent resident upon entry, but your temporary I-551 passport stamp proves status for only 1 year. If you adjust status inside the United States on Form I-485 instead, you skip consular fees and the USCIS Immigrant Fee, though a Form I-765 work permit filed with a pending post-April 1, 2024 Form I-485 carries its own reduced fee.

Worked example: calculating total government fees for a family Green Card

Because petition and visa charges occur at separate stages, total costs add up across both agencies. Here is how our team totals the government fees for a U.S. citizen sponsoring a spouse abroad as an immediate relative:

• Stage 1 (USCIS petition): The U.S. citizen files Form I-130 online rather than by mail to qualify for the online fee reduction in the schedule above.
• Stage 2 (Consular processing): After petition approval, the couple pays the immediate relative immigrant visa fee and the domestic Affidavit of Support review fee to the Department of State.
• Stage 3 (Card production): Once the consulate issues the visa, the spouse pays the online USCIS Immigrant Fee. Add the online Form I-130, immediate relative visa, Affidavit of Support review, and USCIS Immigrant Fee rows in the schedule above for your total.

How to pay American visa and USCIS fees without a rejection

Under 22 CFR 22.4, U.S. consular officers abroad collect visa fees in U.S. currency or its representative value in local foreign exchange. For Department of State services paid inside the United States under 22 CFR 22.3, payments must use a U.S. bank check or draft, a postal, international, or bank money order, or U.S. currency.

Under 8 CFR 106.1(b), all USCIS fees must come from a U.S. financial institution in U.S. funds. USCIS no longer accepts personal or business checks, money orders, or cashier's checks for paper filings unless you qualify for an exemption and attach a signed Form G-1651 (with any exempt check dated within the past 365 days). Cash is never accepted at any USCIS office.

• Filing online with USCIS: The portal routes you to the Department of the Treasury payment service to pay by U.S. credit, debit, or prepaid card, or by U.S. bank ACH withdrawal.
• Filing by mail with a card (Form G-1450): Place a signed Form G-1450 on top of your form. USCIS accepts U.S.-issued Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and network prepaid cards, up to the Treasury daily card limit, and rejects gift cards.
• Filing by mail with a U.S. bank account (Form G-1650): Place a signed Form G-1650 on top, mark business or personal, mark checking or savings, and enter your 9-digit routing and account numbers.
• Whitelisting ACH debit blocks: Before mailing Form G-1650, give your bank the USCIS Lockbox Agency Location Code: 7001010330 (Phoenix/Tempe), 7001010331 (Dallas/Lewisville), 7001010335 (Chicago), 7001010390 (Elgin/Carol Stream), 700101031F (Montclair), or 700101031J (Bloomington).
• Never mix payment methods: Use a single payment type per package, and attach a separate Form G-1450 or Form G-1650 to each application so one defective form does not cause USCIS to reject the whole bundle. Pay any non-waivable Public Law 119-21 statutory fees separately.

Fee exemptions and USCIS Form I-912 fee waivers

A fee exemption sets a charge at zero automatically by law, while a fee waiver requires proving inability to pay. Under Item 22 of 22 CFR 22.1, the Department of State exempts A, G, C-3, NATO, and diplomatic visa applicants, U.S. government-sponsored J exchange visitors, U.S. government employees on government business, qualifying immediate family of U.S. employees killed or critically injured in the line of duty, UN Headquarters observer mission staff, Department-approved charitable travelers, and fault-free replacement visas.

Consular tourist and student visas do not offer low-income waivers, whereas USCIS allows paper fee waiver requests on Form I-912 under 8 CFR 106.3 for specific domestic forms (including Forms I-90, I-751, non-DACA I-765, I-821, N-400, N-600, and public-charge-exempt I-485 filings). You qualify by showing receipt of a means-tested benefit, household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or extreme financial hardship.

Naturalization applicants with household income at or below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines can request the reduced Form N-400 fee on paper Part 10. In addition, as of February 5, 2026, USCIS paused Public Law 119-21 parole, parolee EAD, and asylum fees for confirmed Ms. L. Settlement Class members and qualifying family members who mail a labeled paper application.

Refund rules, declined payments, and 5-step pre-payment checklist

Both agencies treat application fees as final processing charges. Under 8 CFR 106.1, USCIS filing and biometric fees are nonrefundable regardless of the outcome or withdrawal, and card payments cannot be disputed or charged back. Under 22 CFR 22.6, consular fees are refundable only when authorized by law or collected erroneously.

If a credit card is declined, USCIS never retries it and immediately rejects the filing. If an ACH bank transfer or exempt check fails for insufficient funds, USCIS resubmits it 1 time before rejecting, and can revoke an already approved benefit upon notice if payment is dishonored.

Work through this 5-step checklist from our team before submitting any payment:

• Step 1: Match your exact visa category and form edition. Confirm your tier under 22 CFR 22.1 or Form G-1055 (10/26/26 edition), and check that every printed form page shares the same edition date.
• Step 2: Use online filing when eligible. Check whether your USCIS form receives the online reduction, noting that small-employer and nonprofit I-129 rates do not combine with it.
• Step 3: Separate payment forms for each request. Include one Form G-1450 or Form G-1650 per paper form, and submit separate payments for any Public Law 119-21 fees.
• Step 4: Clear bank limits and ACH blocks first. Verify available funds in your U.S. account and whitelist the Lockbox ALC code with your bank.
• Step 5: Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee before departure. Submit your A-Number and DOS Case ID online right after picking up an immigrant visa so your Green Card mails promptly.

Practice example

Who paid for your visa application and who is paying for your trip to the United States?

State clearly in one or two sentences whether you paid the visa fee and travel costs yourself or if a family member, sponsor, or employer is covering them. Make sure the person or company you name matches the funding section of your Form DS-160, Form I-20, or Form I-129 petition. If you are paying for yourself, know your job title, your annual income, and the account holding your travel funds. If a relative or sponsor is paying, know their relationship to you, their occupation, their annual income, and where they live. Keep your DS-160 confirmation page, visa fee receipt, and supporting financial records organized in your folder in case the officer asks to review them.

The consular officer is checking that you have credible funds to cover your stay without unauthorized work. Consistent details also confirm that your spoken answer matches the sponsor information on your 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.