US revises Fees for Consular Services

WASHINGTON: The US Department of State has revised the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, says an official announcement on Thursday.
The new schedule will be effective March 8, at which time the fees for certain services provided by the Department of State and by US embassies and consulates abroad will change.
The department is required by law and regulation to recover the actual costs of providing most consular services through user fees. To comply, the fees for consular services are adjusted periodically.
The revised Schedule of Fees for Consular Services also reflects new surcharges authorised in the 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Recovering the actual cost of providing consular services is essential to maintaining and improving high-quality customer service, utilising advances in information technology and enhancing the security features of the consular function of border security.
The Schedule of Fees for Consular Services revisions include: * An increase in the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery surcharge for diversity immigrant visa applications from $100 to $375;
* An increase in the passport file search fee from $45 to $60; and,
* A reduction in the fee charged for issuance of a transportation letter for Legal Permanent Resident Aliens (LPRA) to re-enter the US from abroad from $300 to $165.Moreover, the additional revisions in the new Schedule of Fees resulting from the 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act include:
* A surcharge of $12 to be added to current passport fees; * A surcharge of $45 to be added to the current fees for immigrant visas; and,
* A $500 “fraud prevention and detection fee” for persons applying for L-1 visas under “blanket” provisions abroad.The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 also mandated a “fraud prevention and detection fee” to be charged for H-1B and L-1 principal applicants at time of petition filing or change of employer. app