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General News of Wednesday, 16 October 2002

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US embassy increases visa fee

Ghanaweb Visa page

The U.S. Embassy in Accra on Wednesday announced that non-immigrant visa would go up from 65 dollars to 100 dollars with effect from November 1. It said in a statement issued in Accra that the increase by the U.S. Department of State is for the whole world.

This processing fee is charged for all non-immigrant visa and border crossing card applications. This adjustment will bring the fee into line with the actual costs of administering non-immigrant visa services," the statement said. It said the State Department has congressional authorization to fund the Department's Border Security Program with user fees and these fees are adjusted periodically to reflect the actual cost of the program. Added security screening procedures, restrictions on the role of support staff, and further increases in management oversight have added to the cost of non-immigrant visa processing. "The Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee was introduced in 1994 and is the program's primary source of revenue. "

The statement reminded applicants that the visa application fee is non-refundable, regardless of whether or not the visa is approved. "Applicants should also be aware that in order to qualify for a U.S. visitor's visa they must prove that they have economic, social and family ties to Ghana that are sufficiently strong to compel their return to Ghana after a short visit to the U.S.