New U.S. Consular Fees Take Effect September 12

Some employment-based fees will be decreased modestly when a new State Department consular fee schedule takes effect on September 12, 2014. H-1B and L-1 visa fees will not be affected, however. The fees were initially slated to take effect on September 6, 2014, but the State Department changed the implementation date to September 12, 2014.

The fee for E-1 and E-2 visa applications will be $205, down from $270. The fee for a State Department waiver of the two-year home residency requirement for J-1 visa holders who wish to change or adjust their status will also decrease, to $120 from $215. 

Foreign nationals applying for an employment-based immigrant visa at a consulate will pay $345, down from $405. Lawful permanent residents who have remained abroad for more than one year or beyond the validity of a reentry permit will pay $205 for a returning resident immigrant visa, down from $220. 

Individuals who want to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship will be subject to a fee of $2,350 – a more than fourfold increase from the current fee of $450. 

The new fees reflect the State Department’s latest assessment of the actual cost of visa services. They will take effect on September 12, though the State Department will accept public comments on the new rates through October 26, 2014. 

The following are the key fee changes affecting employers and their foreign national employees: 
 

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals 

The fee changes mean modestly lower costs for some employment-based visa applications and related services. Foreign nationals applying for E-1, E-2 and employment-based immigrant visas on or after September 12, 2014 should ensure that they are remitting the correct fee amounts.