MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The fee for nonimmigrants applying to obtain a United States visa has officially increased from $65 to $100 as of Nov. 1.
The fee covers processing for all non-immigrant visa and border crossing card applications and will bring the State Department into line with the actual cost of administering the services through its program.
This is the second fee increase in the past six months and administrators hope it will assist in offsetting the decrease in nonimmigrant visa applications since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.
Although the number of applicants has decreased the cost of processing the applications has not, according to a U.S. State Department notice.
"There has been no corresponding decline in the costs of running nonimmigrant visa operations, because the processing of each application is more time consuming and labor intensive as a result of enhanced security screening requirements since September 11," stated the notice.
The security enhancements now involved in the process include additional name checks with law enforcement and intelligence data bases and added management controls.
Individuals can pick up an application at the Station Judge Advocate's Office and can expect to wait a few weeks after their application has been filled out to receive notice from the State Department, according to Junko Sakamoto, SJA legal assistant.
"The regular mailing takes about three to four days and the processing time at the visa section is around seven to 14 days and then they will mail it back," said Sakamoto. "It depends on the consulate's work load regarding the time frame. Each consulate has its own turn around time."
Acceptable forms of payment for the applications are decided by the designated bank of the embassy. Once payment is made, the applicant must attach a receipt of the transaction to their application, noted Sakamoto.
Applicants can pick up the forms they will need at the Station Judge Advocate's Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m.
For more information interested parties can go to the American Embassy in Tokyo Web site at http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh7132.html or the American Consulate in Osaka Web site at http://www.senri-i.or.jp/amcon/usa_06.html or call Sakamoto at 253-5594.