robnewman

Hi all...

Well, I now have just 1 week to go before my visa interview... I have my travel plans, all my paperwork, a ton of extra paperwork including various "supporting evidence" items...

To quote Spongebob Squarepants... "I'm READY! I'm READY!"

Here's a quick final question though...

I think I know the answer, but could some kind soul here confirm to me that I need a credit card in order to pay for the visa application fee ($355 I think), and then a fee for the courier (which I will pay in cash) only?

I read an other post a little while ago which mentioned something about having fingerprints taken... does this carry an additional "biographic data collection" fee or something?

I just need to know how much to take with me and what methods they will accept...


Taa in advance... I'll post back when everything's all sorted...

janet82

According to the letter I got you have to pay $131 for the visa appplication which can be made by cash/credit card.

Then the courier fee is £14. It says this is payable by cash only but I've read some people have paid this by card also.

Bluegrass Lass

The visa fee may depend on which visa you are going for? So what visa are you going for?

penguinbar

For a K1 the other week my fiancee paid exactly what Janet said. There was no extra charge for being fingerprinted.

Noorah101

By doing a little research, it can be seen that robnewman is getting an Immigrant Visa via DCF directly in London.

It probably would be more helpful to him just to have people in that situation comment on the visa cost, as it might be different for different visa types.

Rene

penguinbar

I wasn't sure what type of visa he was getting that's why I mentioned ours was a K1

robnewman

Guess I should have mentioned that bit!

I'm going for an IR-1 immigrant visa...

I know the interview letter told me that the visa fee is $355 and there would be a courier fee... I was mainly just a little unsure as to whether there would be a biographic data fee (I think I read somewhere a while back that certain visas when applied for in the US have a fee for the collection of fingerprints... and as everybody has mentioned that the US embassy collect such prints, I was unsure).

It looks like it's a non issue though... I guess it's just like the finger print scanners at US airports...

BritishGuy36

Ok well as I had my IR-1 interview yesterday I can tell you!

There was the $355, then a mysterious and unexplained "IV visa surcharge" which was $45 (still don't know what that was for) so a total of $400 which works out at £203-ish.

The courier is £14 and can be paid by cash or card, either is fine.

I note that they take payment at the start, so even if you get refused the visa, they have your cash already....no refunds....

The fingerprint scanner is about as big as one of those square boxes of tissues, you put your 4 fingers on it at once, one hand then the other, then they do the two thumbs together.

robnewman

Thanks guys... sorry for delay... just got back form a work trip.

Cool... so it's $355 for the visa, a $45 surcharge just to be awkward, and £14 for the courier.

Add all that to the charge for the medical, the initial petition fee, police certs and travel etc, it's not a cheap game is it?!

Oh well... will be worth it in the end... Which should be tomorrow!


By the way... about this surcharge... I did a search and the only mention of it was on the US embassy in China's website! It looks though as if the fee has been increased to $400 and so they are just taking the extra as a "surcharge"...

BritishGuy36

My approximate costs for IR-1 DCF in London:

Passport photos = £9
I-130 filing fee = $355
Calls to (mis)information line = £10
Subject access police cert = £10 (found out this was no good after I applied for it)
ACPO Police cert = £35
Jabs at the doctor = £25
General photocopying = £5
Travel costs to (and in) London = £74
Hotel in London = £68
Incidental costs for London trip = £25 (approx)
Medical fee = £180
IR-1 Visa fee = £210
SMS courier fee = £14

Total = £842.50

Of course the good thing about the IR-1 is that everything is done and there are no AOS fees etc so you are good until naturalisation.

Rete

Payment at the start is because even if you are denied, your petition for a visa has been adjudicated. The same applies in the US when petitioning for a benefit. You pay up front for the adjudication of the petition, regardless of its denial or approval.

Rete

Not true. If you enter the US and your marriage is less than two years in length then you are admitted as a CR-1 and not an IR-1 and must file and pay for the removal of conditions via form I-751.

robnewman

Well, we should be OK... been married for 5 and half years now.

Tell you what... for the missus to come over here it was one form... and a £450 fee... that was it. No interviews... no medicals... just a phone call from the British Consulate in LA to confirm some details.

Certainly a lot harder going the other way!

Rete

Yup, different countries, different immigration setup. We Yanks wish it was as easy to get a spouse into the US.

BritishGuy36

If the marriage is less than two years old then it's not an IR-1 visa is it? I did state that quite clearly.