Most applicants, including children, are required to pay a Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee to initiate their U.S. visa application. This US Government-mandated fee is a visa processing fee that is payable whether or not a visa is issued.
The MRV fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. Applicants should first determine whether or not they require a visa to travel to the US before submitting their applications.
Examples of individuals that may not require a visa include, but are not limited to:
If you are applying for an A or G visa for official travel, you do not need to pay the MRV fee.
If you are applying for a J visa to participate in a U.S. Government-sponsored program, you do not need to pay the MRV fee.
If you already hold a valid visa for your intended purpose of travel, you may not need a visa.
If you are a citizen of Canada or Bermuda (but not applying for an A, E, G, K or V visa category), you may not need a visa.
If you do need to apply for a visa, please follow the payment instructions below. Applicants must make a successful payment before they are permitted to schedule their interview appointment. Applicants who do not pay the correct fee for their visa type may be restricted from scheduling an interview.
Once the initial interview is scheduled, applicants are limited to the number of times they can reschedule their appointment. If you miss your scheduled appointment time, you may be required to pay the MRV fee again in order to schedule another interview. Please plan accordingly so that you are not required to pay an additional visa application fee. Visa application fees are non-refundable.
Remember: Applicants are limited to the number of times they can reschedule their appointments. Please plan accordingly so that you are not required to pay another visa application fee. Visa application fees are non-refundable.
Issuance Fee (Reciprocity Fee)
Depending on your citizenship and the type of visa you are applying for, you may also have to pay a visa issuance or “reciprocity” fee. This fee is not an MRV Fee and cannot be used to schedule an appointment. Please make sure that you pay the reciprocity fee in advance only if you are renewing your previous and submitting your application through drop-box channel. If you are scheduling your interview appointment, do not pay the reciprocity fee in advance; the fee should be paid at the time of your interview at the Consular Section of U.S. Embassy/Consulate General.
Please check this page to find out the applicable reciprocity fee amounts.