Obama and Visa fee
 

Is it likely that the Obama administration will lower the visa fee from countries like China, Brazil and Chile? If so, when might that happen, and how long would you expect it to take for those countries to reciprocate?

Not sure why you'd think Obama will lower the Visa fee. I guess you can spin a theory that because he lived briefly overseas and is more interested in "pleasing the world" he'll see the "error of our ways" and lower the US entry fee.

Personally, I wouldn't bet on it. :)

I'll second this. OP: What gives you reason to believe that this idea is even on the table?

Some people believe the current administration will reverse every thing that the previous one has done.

Can't erase the casualties in Iraq.

Guess I should have said, it will "try to reverse"...

If I recall correctly, the rule that applicants for US visas must pay for the full cost of processing--hence the relatively high fees--was enacted by the legislature (Congress), not by executive action of the President. So Obama cannot unilaterally reverse or amend this law.

Don't bet on the law changing. Except as with all things, the fees are likely to go up over time, not down.

Doubt it. I think Congress first set this one as part of a budget-balancing item (so he`ll have to ask them to reduce it) a long time ago and also as part of the user pays doctrine. Canada and the U.K. have bought into this doctrine.

Agreed.

We do a lot more checking on visas than most countries do. Of course our visas are expensive.

This was my thinking when I posted. As everyone knows, DHS has an enormous budget; visa fees are expected to cover their direct and indirect impacts upon this budget. If anything, I would guess that the $130 figure is a bit on the low side (in light of inelastic demand).

No matter how much our new president dislikes the DHS, he's not going to make it disappear overnight. Moreover, I couldn't imagine (in my wildest dreams) that he'd offload any more administrative costs onto US tax payers.

Better to travel to China now. year 2005 RMB/dollar 8.2/1 now 5.84/1 edited (6.84)/1
According to Obama their currency is manipulated, so might adjust to 4 or less/1.

So even if visa fee US to China dropped in half, total cost for a trip to China would increase due to the exchange rate change.

I'm seeing 6.84070 on xe.com.

That's right. 6.84

I hope Obama goes to visit China soon. I believe he will make a good impression with the Chinese and he will enjoy their food.

From all the analysts and pundits I've been reading, most expect the relationship between US and China to be more rocky with the new administration - from trade deficit figure, food safety, to human rights records...

I don't know why some of you here think it'd be the opposite.

Obama has family ties to China. His half brother lives there and is married to
a Chinese woman. Not that this in itself makes a difference, but I believe its
unique to a US president.