The US Embassy in the Philippines wishes to inform the public that they would raise their visa fees this month. Starting June 4, the visa fee for non immigrant visa would have an additional USD9 or Php420. The said increase would be implemented to cope with the rising cost that comes with ensuring efficient and quality service.

The current USD130 or Php6,097 application fee would be raised to USD140 or Php6,566 and it would be applied for the following visa categories: tourist and business visa (B1 and B2 categories), seafarer and crew (C1 and D categories), student (F category) and exchange visitor (J category).

Meanwhile those who are applying for a US work visa (H, L, O, P, Q and R categories) now have to pay USD150 or Php7035. The Embassy also said that the fees for trader or investor visa would now be USD390 or Php18,291. Also the fees for the spouse, fiance, and fiancee (K category) visa is now USD350 or Php16,415.

Charges for other types of non immigrant visa that was not mentioned in the announcement would be USD140 or Php6,566. The pay increase for the machine readable US visa application would not only happen in the Philippines but on other countries as well.

Visa applicants that have an appointment with the US embassy before June 4 would be spared from the increase because they would still the pay the old rate of USD131 or P6,143. However, all visa applicants whose schedules in the Embassy are set on June 4 and the days after that have to comply with the new rates.

The announcement from the USembassy said, "The Embassy requests that visa applicants who have already paid the MRV fee of $131 for an appointment scheduled after June 4 pay for the difference in fees at the same bank branch where they made the initial $131 payment."

It also said, "You will need to present both blue MRV fee receipts when you arrive at the Embassy. You will not be allowed to enter the Embassy for your interview unless the full MRV fee has been paid."

Since May 24, the application for the US immigrant visa have become online but this has nothing wit the do with the fee increase. According to the US Embassy, the increase is because of their aim to support and promote use of "green technologies."