Advance Copy of DOS Interim Final Rule: Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Overseas Embassies and Consulates

"This rule amends the Schedule of Fees for consular services (Schedule) for
nonimmigrant visa application processing fees, border crossing card application processing fees
and immigrant visa application processing fees. The rule increases from $140 to $160 the fee
charged for the processing of an application for most non-petition-based nonimmigrant visas
(Machine-Readable Visas or MRVs) and Border Crossing Cards (BCCs) for Mexican citizens
age 15 and over. The rule also provides amended application processing fees for certain
categories of petition-based nonimmigrant visas and treaty trader and investor visas (all of which
are also MRVs), as well as amended tiered application processing fees for immigrant visas.
Finally, the rule increases from $14 to $15 the BCC fee charged to Mexican citizen minors who
apply in Mexico, and whose parent or guardian already has a BCC or is applying for one, based
on a Congressionally mandated surcharge that took effect since the last adjustment to the
Schedule of Fees. The Department of State is adjusting the fees to ensure that sufficient
resources are available to meet the costs of providing consular services in light of the recent fee
review’s findings that the U.S. government is not fully covering its costs for the processing of
these visas under the current fee structure." - FR Doc. 2012-7569 Filed 03/28/2012 at 8:45 am; Publication Date: 03/29/2012.