US Increases Cost Of Visa Application For Nigerians – TheNigerialawyer

The United States has increased the cost of visa application for
Nigerians.

The US Consulate announced this in a statement issued on
Thursday. The consulate explained that the extra cost will be
applicable to only those whose visa requests were granted.

“Effective worldwide on 29 August, Nigerian citizens will be
required to pay a visa issuance fee, or reciprocity fee, for all
approved applications for non-immigrant visas in B, F, H1B, I, L,
and R visa classifications,” the statement read.

“The reciprocity fee will be charged in addition to the
non-immigrant visa application fee, also known as the MRV fee,
which all applicants pay at the time of application. Nigerian
citizens whose applications for a non-immigrant visa are denied
will not be charged the new reciprocity fee.

“Both reciprocity and MRV fees are non-refundable, and their
amounts vary based on visa classification.”

The consulate explained that the US law requires visa fees and
validity periods are to be based on the treatment afforded to US
citizens by foreign governments.

“Visa issuance fees are implemented under the principle of
reciprocity: when a foreign government imposes additional visa fees
on U.S. citizens, the United States will impose reciprocal fees on
citizens of that country for similar types of visas,” the statement
read.

“Nationals of a number of countries worldwide are currently
required to pay this type of fee after their nonimmigrant visa
application is approved.

“The total cost for a U.S. citizen to obtain a visa to Nigeria
is currently higher than the total cost for a Nigerian to obtain a
comparable visa to the United States. The new reciprocity fee for
Nigerian citizens is meant to eliminate that cost difference.”

Below read the full press statement

Revised Visa Reciprocity for Nigeria

Effective worldwide on 29 August, Nigerian
citizens will be required to pay a visa issuance fee, or
reciprocity fee, for all approved applications for
nonimmigrant visas in B, F, H1B, I, L, and R visa
classifications.  The reciprocity fee will be charged in
addition to the nonimmigrant visa application fee, also known as
the MRV fee, which all applicants pay at the time of
application.  Nigerian citizens whose applications for a
nonimmigrant visa are denied will not be charged the new
reciprocity fee.  Both reciprocity and MRV fees are
non-refundable, and their amounts vary based on visa
classification.

U.S. law requires U.S. visa fees and validity periods to be
based on the treatment afforded to U.S. citizens by foreign
governments, insofar as possible.  Visa issuance fees are
implemented under the principle of reciprocity: when a foreign
government imposes additional visa fees on U.S. citizens, the
United States will impose reciprocal fees on citizens of that
country for similar types of visas.  Nationals of a number of
countries worldwide are currently required to pay this type of fee
after their nonimmigrant visa application is approved.

The total cost for a U.S. citizen to obtain a visa to Nigeria is
currently higher than the total cost for a Nigerian to obtain a
comparable visa to the United States.  The new reciprocity fee
for Nigerian citizens is meant to eliminate that cost
difference.

Since early 2018, the U.S. government has engaged the Nigerian
government to request that the Nigerian government change the fees
charged to U.S. citizens for certain visa categories.  After
eighteen months of review and consultations, the government of
Nigeria has not changed its fee structure for U.S. citizen visa
applicants, requiring the U.S. Department of State to enact new
reciprocity fees in accordance with our visa laws.

The reciprocity fee will be required for all Nigerian citizens
worldwide, regardless of where they are applying for a nonimmigrant
visa to the United States.  The reciprocity fee is required
for each visa that is issued, which means both adults and
minors whose visa applications are approved will be charged the
reciprocity fee.  The fee can only be paid at the
U.S. Embassy or the U.S. Consulate General.  The reciprocity
fee cannot be paid at banks or any other
location.

The complete reciprocity fee schedule, organized by visa
classification, can be found below.

The reciprocity tables displayed on travel.state.gov^[1] will
be updated to reflect the changes above.