The U.S. Department of State is proposing to raise the fee it charges for non-immigrant visa applications submitted to U.S. embassies and consulates. There would be two sets of fee increases: one for non-petition based visa applications (i.e., visa applications not requiring a petition submission to USCIS), and another for petition-based visa applications.

The non-petition based fee increase would affect Mexican citizens filing TN visa applications and spouses and children requiring TD visa stamps. The DOS is raising the visa application fee for these types of visas from $131 to $140.

Petition-based visa application fees will be increasing significantly. For example, application fees for H1B, L, O, P, Q and R visas will increase to $150; for E visas to $390 (included although not a petition-based visa); and for K visas to $350.

This is only a proposed rule. The fee increases may not go into effect until after a sixty day commentary and review period.

Update on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 03:14PM by Brian D. Zuccaro, Esq.

The new visa application filing fee increases will go into effect on June 4, 2010. With respect to the TN visa classification, this rule should only effect citizens of Mexico filing for TN visa stamps at the U.S. consulate and non-Canadian citizen dependents of TN visa workers.

According to the U.S. Department of State, the new application fee for TN and TD visas will be $130.