US increases visa fee
 

Didn't see it posted yet when I did the search but here it goes. 10 fingerprints required in the future and now this.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstorie....php?id=124423


"Washington - The US will increase its visa fees beginning January 1, the State Department said.

Tourists and those travelling for business who apply for non- immigrant visas will now pay 131 dollars, up from the current 100 dollars.

The move is part of an effort to cover costs for heightened security measures, including the collection of 10 fingerprints to check visitors against a terrorist database.

Citizens of 27 primarily western European countries are not required to obtain visas for visits of 90 days or less.

Over the next few months, major US airports from Boston to San Francisco will start requiring 10 fingerprints from most non-US citizens - not just both index fingers - to help prevent terrorism.

By the end of 2008, all US points of entry will enforce the rule, the Homeland Security Department (DHS) said .

The new rule will make it easier for border officials to check the fingerprints against a government database of terrorist suspects.

Dulles International, Washington's main airport, started the new procedure November 20. New York's Kennedy airport, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago OHare airport, San Francisco, Houston, Miami, Detroit and Orlando, Florida, will follow during the next few months, DHS said.

To enter the country, most foreign nationals between ages 14 and 79 who arrive in the US or apply for visas will have to provide the digital fingerprints as well as a photograph, DHS said. (dpa)"

Oh this will certainly help rebound the nation's battered tourism number. :rolleyes:

Heads up to those traveling to Chile and other countries that impose a "reciprocity fee" equal to what the U.S. charges their citizens for visas: those will go up to match. Taking a family of four to Chile will now cost $524, in cash, no dirty bills, to get through immigration. (The entry permit is good for the life of the passport to which it's attached, so repeat visitors shouldn't have to pay it again for a while.)

Side note: About 12 more countries may be eligible for the visa waiver program late next year, including Argentina, Brazil, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Israel, Malta, Slovakia, South Korea, Taiwan and Uruguay.

Not surprised seeing as all the other visa and immigration fees went up about 4 months ago.

Ciao,
FH

Will this be done with a new quick 'entire hand' scanner, or using the existing 'single finger' readers 10 times over?

so assume the lines at immigration will be even longer now with 10 fingerprints required. (or 8 finger and 2 thumb!)

Isolationism at its finest. And we wonder why other cultures don't like us very much when the second they enter US soil we treat them like criminals.

Taking a family of four to the US will now cost $524 ;)

And, unlike Chile, where you pay up and you enter, the US fee is an "application fee" with NO guarantee of visa issuance...

Also, lovely round number, $131. They should have made it $131.41, so that in addition of scrambling for a specimen of just about all denominations of US bills you'd have to look for the coins, too.

Many thanks, OP - need a visa for a US conference next year so if I get onto
it on Monday, I should save $31! :)

That's the reason?

I wouldn't call it deliberate isolationism. Just a consequence of neo-liberalist philosophy of making the user pay. That's why we've had so many fees and taxes added to international travel in the past 10-12 years.

That's great isn't it? Not only Chile has the reciprocal policy but I believe China and Brazil as well and I'm planning to visit them next year *sigh*. Btw, which country has the most expensive fee (at least for US passport single entry tourist visa)? Pakistan, $120?

You're right about China. They do charge a reciprocal fee because I applied for a visa for the mainland this past October. Couldn't believe how much it went up.

Boy, am I glad I have my greencard. Do I still need to do fingerprints when arriving in the US?

Drew

Shortsighted in any case - this is not in the interest of US citizens travelling abroad for tourism or business.

Since the dollar sucks, isn't the increase a wash for some? I'm glad I just applied for my Brazil visa before they match the increase.

I don't think the PRC will be pleased if ROC is included in there. ;)

Does Chile require interviews during this process?

This will result in other countries reciprocating.

No, at least not in my case (twice, most recently Jan. 2007) or that of anyone who was close enough ahead of me to notice. You go to a separate window before inbound passport inspection. They take the money, stamp your passport and staple a small slip of paper to the stamp. If you don't have the cash, or presumably if your cash doesn't meet their standard for "no dirty bills," they escort you to an ATM that dispenses dollars. (I don't know what they do if you don't have an ATM card, or yours doesn't work for any reason.) Then you join the regular immigration line.

It's very businesslike and applies to citizens of any country that charges Chileans for visas. Besides the U.S., the list includes Canada and Australia; there may be others. The amount in each case is what that country charges Chileans, and is payable in that country's currency.

It's exactly what the PRC did. When I went two years ago I know they didn't charge $100.00. It was around $50.00.

To my surprise when I applied for a Chinese visa in HKG, I was told it was $100.00.

In regards to the ROC being on the visa waiver list, I'm very surprised about that. Probably why the USA is and still won't be on the approved places to visit for Chinese citizens (just to use an as excuse).

Yep -- I always have to laugh when I read the fee structure in the Chinese Embassy to Japan: three categories:

• Japanese
• Foreigner
• American

With "American" being the highest, and Japanese tourists not requiring a visa.

HTB.

CNN.com has a pretty large article about a recent agreement to promote US tourism in China.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/12/12...ref=newssearch

Said the visa refusal rate was about 20% for applicants. Honestly, I can see why. I know there are a lot of Chinese who have serious money; they won't have any problems getting visas.

I'm not sure where the above poster got that list of countries that may be added to the VWP. I only saw South Korea as one, their visa refusal rate is 3.5%

Ouch.. we're looking to go to West Africa next year; 7 countries and all require a reciprocity visa. $1k right there :(

You can say that again. If you've ever been to HKG, you should see the Louis Vuitton store over by Ocean Terminal. There is a long queue made up of mostly mainland Chinese and they shop!!!!

A friend of mine who works for HSBC would tell me stories about how they'd come down to HKG and buy condos and pay it all upfront in cash.

I see. Seems more or less like what China does except they don't take you to an ATM dispensing dollar machine when they don't like your cash.

As of August 2007, China now has two fee structures...for most countries, it's a sliding scale for a one visit, two visit, or multiple visit visa. For the US, it's $100 fee for any of visas.

Be careful when traveling as an American to countries whose citizens are required a visa to travel to the US. Those who got denied their visa are even more motivated to get their money back from Americans... so watch out. :D :D

Joking aside, this stinks. As if the US wasn't hostile enough towards foreign visitors. :td:

It's pretty crazy... That's why those new casinos in Macau have luxury shopping malls akin to what Casesar's Palace and the LV Wynn have, to try and capitalize on that.

In respect to Chinese visas, it used to be $75 for 2 entries. Now it's $100 but multiple entry. That's an enhancement to be, and welcome paying $25 more for that.

Brazil is the same way, I got a 5-year visa, as do most people who apply, I don't mind that, whether its tit-for-tat or not.

What is the period of validity of the visa?

Not the smartest move for the economy IMHO.

It is relatively easy for me to visit the United States (I travel on a Canadian passport). But if I were to line up and pay for a visa, wait for approval, then get my ten fingers massaged for the privilege, I won't be spending one cent of my tourist dollar there.

1 year.

Those are exactly my feelings with Canada (My loss that is for sure), I get to pay 75 dollars for a single entry or something like 150 for multiple entries, I get to give them my passport for them to keep for a period of time that can be 2-4 weeks (unless I take a plane to GUA and then I can get same day service) and then on arrival I get to have my laptop inspected looking for pictures.

At least with the US I get my passport back in 1-2 days at most

My loss mainly (because I did visit Canada once before and I would love to see the Canadian Rockies) but every country can do whatever they want with their visa fees, they claim they dont get back the cost with the current fee so it makes sense to me that they at least break even.

Most people do not get a 5 year Brazilian visa. Of 20 people I know that have gone to Brazil in the last few years, less than 20% have gotten the 5 year.

I sorry to hear that. What are those people doing with my tax dollars! :mad:

What the heck is neo-liberalist? :confused: The philosophy you describe appears to be what passes for conservative--what with the Bushites raising fees to come to the not so friendly US. :)

In any event, based on this thread, apparently, on my next trip to China I will have to pay a hundred bucks for a multi entry visa--no single entry option. How many multi entries--unlimited?

Look it up at m-w.com. You have to go back a few hundred years to find liberalism as far as economics and business go (and not the more-popular social definition).

If I am not mistaken, Milton Freidman and infamous Chicago school were among the early proponents of neo-Liberalism. The found initial followings in Chile under Augusto Pinochet, and then in the U.K. under Thatcher and in the U.S. under Reagan. The "user pay" concept is part of that doctrine.

It's a really, really stupid move on the part of the U.S. :mad::mad: With the weak dollar and all, tourism to the U.S. should be absolutely shattering records, but it can't even regain the 2000 level back when the dollar was strong. Having the ridiculously high fees might save the government millions but is costing the economy BILLIONS. Just the foregone tax revenue from the missed tourism would exceed any "savings" from having such a high fee many, many times over.

Many places could also use the tourism with the U.S. headed toward recession but the rest of the world economy holding up much better. I think there's some awareness in the most tourism-dependent states (Nevada, Florida and Hawaii come to mind) that the U.S. is really missing out. But with all the demagoguery about the WOT I think you'd need a careful political message. Maybe the best hope for change is if Congressmen from most-affected states attacked it as a waste and inefficiency issue, saying they're all for careful screening but the cost needs to be brought down.

The US visa system is an absolute cash cow. I had to apply for a tourist visa about 2 years ago, from the embassy in London. The process went something like this:

1. Call the information line, charged at £1.50 per minute, for about 15 minutes to find out how it works and what documents I need.

2. Call the appointment booking line charged at £1.50 per minute for about 10 minutes, to find no appointments available that I can attend (delay from booking to attending roughly 4 weeks)

3. repeat 2 above 3 or 4 times till a suitable appointment becomes available. This time the call takes about 20 minutes.

4. Wait for confirmation in the post, and a special bank deposit slip to pay the fee

5. Fill in various application forms, gather supporting documents over a period of about a week.

6. Go to the bank to pay the £60 fee, and get a stamp on the specially approved slip

7. Find one of the few places in London that do passport photos that meet the US standard (which no other country uses) - cost around £15 (normal passport/visa photos around £3)

8. Take time off work to attend the appointment, which consists of 2 hours waiting in line, and 10 minutes talking to an official & submitting paperwork.

9. Pay £10 to get passport couriered back to me (no alternatives offered)

10. Wait to receive passport back with visa.

Total cost = around £180.

If they hadn't given me a 10-year visa, there is no way I would go through that again, weak dollar or not!

-- Mike