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Print articleIncreased Visa Application Fee and Processing Delays at U.S. Consular Posts
December, 2007 - Leigh Ganchan
The Department of State (DOS) has announced two changes to the visa application process at consular posts. Effective January 1, 2008, non-immigrant visa application fees increase from $100 to $131. DOS claims that the new fees are meant to recover costs associated with increased security measures and other security enhancements. Applicants who apply and pay the current $100 fee before January 1 and are scheduled for interviews in January 2008 will not have to pay the higher fee.
The other change is the Petition Information Management System (PIMS), a new DOS database of approval notices and related documents from USCIS. Consular officers must now verify approvals in non-immigrant visa categories, such as H-1B and L-1 work visas, through the PIMS. Applicants previously only needed to present an original I-797 approval notice to the consulate for immediate visa issuance. Now they have to wait for PIMS verification. While most PIMS queries are supposed to receive a response within a few hours, there have been reports of technical failures due to increased usage.
Although PIMS is supposed to render I-797 approval notices unnecessary, we urge applicants to take the original I-797 when applying for an H1B or L-1 visa. Applicants should also anticipate increased delays of two or more days between the visa interview and receipt of the visa stamp. As always it is wise to plan international travel accordingly and to obtain a refundable fare to facilitate schedule changes. Increased holiday travel and a potential surge in visa applicants prior to the fee increase may also cause short-term delays in visa processing.
The other change is the Petition Information Management System (PIMS), a new DOS database of approval notices and related documents from USCIS. Consular officers must now verify approvals in non-immigrant visa categories, such as H-1B and L-1 work visas, through the PIMS. Applicants previously only needed to present an original I-797 approval notice to the consulate for immediate visa issuance. Now they have to wait for PIMS verification. While most PIMS queries are supposed to receive a response within a few hours, there have been reports of technical failures due to increased usage.
Although PIMS is supposed to render I-797 approval notices unnecessary, we urge applicants to take the original I-797 when applying for an H1B or L-1 visa. Applicants should also anticipate increased delays of two or more days between the visa interview and receipt of the visa stamp. As always it is wise to plan international travel accordingly and to obtain a refundable fare to facilitate schedule changes. Increased holiday travel and a potential surge in visa applicants prior to the fee increase may also cause short-term delays in visa processing.
