NIV Application Materials

Application Fees

Please read below for more information on fees for nonimmigrant visa applications.  All applicants are required to pay the general application fee before the day of your visa interview.  You may also be responsible for paying additional fees including the SEVIS Fee for students and exchange visitors, which can be paid online and Reciprocal Visa Issuance Fees depending on your nationality.

• General Visa Application Fee

There is a non-refundable nonimmigrant visa application fee of RMB 930 payable at any branch of the CITIC Industrial Bank in our district (click here for a list of bank branches). When the applicant pays the 930 RMB application fee, CITIC Bank will provide a two-ply receipt.  Please bring this receipt with you to your visa interview. The application fee is non-refundable and the two-ply receipt (one ply is white, the other light brown) should not be separated and must be submitted intact to the Consulate with a visa application. Application forms are also provided at the Bank free of charge.

• SEVIS Fee (Additional Fee For All F, J and M Visa Visitors)

The SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) I-901 fee is mandated by Congress to support the automated system that keeps track of students and exchange visitors to ensure that they maintain their lawful status in the United States. Each student or exchange scholar issued an initial Form I-20 or DS-2019 on or after September 1, 2004, is responsible for paying this fee before applying for a visa.   Also, the visa officer must be able to verify that the relevant electronic record exists in the SEVIS database before an F-, J-, or M-class visa can be issued. SEVIS forms and electronic verification is also required for family member visas, i.e., F-2, M-2 or J-2 visas. Persons sponsored by the United States Government are exempt from payment of the SEVIS fee if their program code begins with the letter G. Most continuing students and exchange visitors will also not be required to pay the SEVIS fee.

The SEVIS fee has been set at $100. Certain short-term exchange visitors will pay a reduced fee of $35. All applicants required to pay the SEVIS fee will also have to complete Form I-901. This form is available on-line at http://www.fmjfee.com. Currently,the SEVIS fee can be paid by credit card on-line or by international money order or check drawn on a financial institution in the United States if payable in United States currency. Applicants should bring their SEVIS fee receipt to their visa interview. For more information regarding the SEVIS fee, please refer to the SEVIS website and the SEVIS fact sheet.

• Reciprocal Issuance Fees

There also may be additional visa issuance fees, depending on visa class, applicant nationality, and length of validity, among other factors. Issuance fees are based on reciprocity with other countries. Issuance fees are only charged if the visa is issued and they are paid at the cashier’s window in the Consular Section after the interview. For a list of reciprocal issuance fees by country, go to http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/index.htm