How Much Is A Visa To The USA?
If you are a non-US national looking to temporarily travel to the United States you will need to consider the different types of non-immigrant visa available and the entry requirements for each. You may even qualify for visa-free travel.
The following guide not only looks at the different types of non-immigrant visa that you may be eligible for, as well as the criteria for travelling without a visa, it also answers the all-important question: “How much is a visa to the USA?”.
US visa application costs
The cost of a US visa will depend on the type of application being made, and whether or not a sponsor is required to file a petition on your behalf.
If you are a non-US national looking to travel to the USA, and you are not eligible for visa-free travel, you will need to complete Form DS-160. This is the application form for seeking permission to travel to the United States under a non-immigrant visa, from a business or tourist visa to a temporary work visa. The processing fees for non-immigrant visa applications, known as the MRV fees, are tiered, based on the visa category for which you are applying. For a non-petition based non-immigrant visa, such as the B visa for visitors, the fee is $185. The fee for a petition-based non-immigrant work visa, including the H, L, and O visas, is $205, whereas the cost for filing a visa application for an E visa is $315.
Visa Type |
Description |
MRV Fee (USD) |
| B | Business/Tourist | $185 |
| C-1 | Transit | $185 |
| D | Ship/Airline Crew | $185 |
| E | Treaty Trader/Investor, Australian Professional Specialty | $315 |
| F | Student (academic) | $185 |
| H | Temporary/Seasonal Workers and Employment, Trainees | $205 |
| I | Journalist and Media | $185 |
| J | Exchange Visitor | $185 |
| K | Fiancé(e) or Spouse of U.S. Citizen | $265 |
| L | Intracompany Transferees | $205 |
| M | Student (vocational) | $185 |
| O | Persons with Extraordinary Ability | $205 |
| P | Athletes. Artists & Entertainers | $205 |
| Q | International Cultural Exchange | $205 |
| R | Religious Worker | $205 |
| T | Victim of Human Trafficking | $185 |
| U | Victim of Criminal Activity | $185 |
| TN/TD | NAFTA Professionals | $185 |
The non-immigrant visa application processing fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, regardless of whether the visa is ultimately issued or refused. Once your visa is approved, you may also need to pay what’s known as a visa issuance fee, if applicable to your nationality.
How much is a US work visa?
There are various non-immigrant work visas for the US. Suitability will depend on your circumstances and whether you meet the eligibility criteria for any given category. These include the following:
- E-1/E-2 visa: for overseas traders or investors, or employees of the principal trader/investor, looking to come to the United States for the purpose of carrying out international trade or to invest in a US enterprise.
- L-1A/L-1B visa: for overseas employees of multinational organisations looking to transfer within the same company to an affiliated US office, or to establish a new office, where the employee works in an executive or managerial role, or the employee has specialised knowledge of the employer’s products, processes and procedures.
- H-1B visa: for overseas graduates, or experienced professionals, looking to work in a speciality occupation that requires theoretical or technical expertise, and for whom they have a US sponsor.
- O-1A/O-1B visa: for overseas individuals who have extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business, athletics or arts, or who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry, looking to come to the United States to work in their field and for whom they have a US sponsor.
Where a US employer or agent is required to sponsor you, these are commonly referred to as petition-based visas.
In the case of many non-immigrant work visas, such as the L-1A or L-1B visas, you will need a US employer to first file a petition on your behalf with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), typically using Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. When filing Form I-129 for a work visa application, the following fees will be payable:
Form / Visa Category
|
Filing by
|
Current Fee |
Fee from April 1, 2024
|
| I-129 H-1 | Small employers and nonprofits All other employers |
US$460 US$460 |
US$460 US$780 |
| I-129 L | Small employers and nonprofits All other employers |
US$460 US$460 |
US$695 US$1,385 |
| I-129 O, Nonimmigrant Workers | Small employers and nonprofits All other employers |
US$460 US$460 |
US$530 US$1,055 |
| I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker: E, H-3, P, Q, R, or TN | Small employers and nonprofits All other employers |
US$460 US$460 |
US$510 US$1,015 |
Small employers are those that have 25 or fewer full-time employees in the USA.
If you are being sponsored, your sponsor may also be liable to pay additional fees including Asylum Program Fee, Border Security Act fee, a Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee, and an American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 fee. For the H-1B visa, the prospective employer will also be required to obtain a labor certification, or other approval from the Department of Labor, before filing the petition with USCIS.
How much is a US visa for visitors?
There are various different types of non-immigrant visa available. However, the type of visa that you require will depend on the primary purpose for your trip and, in some cases, the likely duration of your stay.
Where you are travelling to the United States for the purpose of business or pleasure, unless you are eligible to enter the US visa-free, or you are a citizen of Canada or Bermuda, the two main types of non-immigrant visitor visa are:
- B-1 visa: for those travelling to the US temporarily to engage in business activities.
- B-2 visa: for those travelling to the US temporarily to visit friends and family, or for the purposes of tourism.
That said, you can also undertake additional activities under a B-2 visa, namely undergoing medical treatment, undertaking a short course of study, or even performing as an amateur entertainer or athlete, provided you will not be paid.
The B-1 business visa, on the other hand, will allow you to temporarily engage in business activities, such as attending a conference or seminar, or other legitimate activities of a commercial or professional nature. Similarly, however, as with the B-2 visa, the B-1 visa will not generally allow for gainful employment.
Further, the visitor visa is only usually valid for a period of up to six months. As such, if your proposed activity falls outside these parameters or timescale, a different type of visa, such as a non-immigrant work visa, will be required.
How much does it cost to travel visa-free to the USA?
In some circumstances, you may be eligible to enter the United States without a visa if you meet the requirements for the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP allows citizens of certain countries, including the UK, to travel to the US without a visa for business, tourism or for transit to another country for up to 90 days. The VWP is intended for occasional short visits to the USA. Visa-free travel does not, however, include those who plan to study, work or remain in the country for more than 90 days. If you wish to stay for longer, or undertake an activity that falls outside those permitted under the VWP, you will need to apply for a visa.
Travellers that qualify under the VWP must still obtain permission to enter the USA by securing an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). You will generally be granted authorization if you are a citizen of one of the listed VWP partner countries, if you hold a valid electronic passport containing an electronic chip and if you meet the eligibility criteria, such as not having any criminal convictions.
To apply for visa-free travel you should complete an online pre-registration form on the ESTA website. The cost of this is $21 per application.
It is advised by the US Customs and Border Patrol that you do this at least 72 hours before departure.
If your ESTA application is denied, however, you will need to make an application for a non-immigrant visa and pay the associated costs, not to mention endure the additional processing time of up to several weeks or months.
This article does not constitute direct legal advice and is for informational purposes only.
Author
Founder & Principal Attorney Nita Nicole Upadhye is a recognized leader in the field of US business immigration law, (The Legal 500, Chambers & Partners, Who's Who Legal and AILA) and an experienced and trusted advisor to large multinational corporates through to SMEs. She provides strategic immigration advice and specialist application support to corporations and professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, artists, actors and athletes from across the globe to meet their US-bound talent mobility needs.
Nita is an active public speaker, thought leader, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals.
