May 17, 2002

Revision of the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release May 17, 2002
STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

The U.S. Department of State has revised the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services. The new schedule will be effective June 1, 2002, at which time fees for consular services, excepting passport services, provided by the Department of State and by U.S. embassies and consulates abroad will change. Passport related fees will be revised effective August 19,2002. These adjustments will bring our fees into line with the actual costs of consular services.

The State Department is required by Federal regulations and law to recover the costs of most consular services through user fees, and must adjust the Fee Schedule periodically to comply with that requirement.

The last major revision of the Fee Schedule was in 1998. The new Schedule is based on a cost-of -service study conducted by an independent contractor under the supervision of the Department and reflects the cost of providing consular services in 2002. The new fees are essential to maintaining and improving high-quality customer service while taking advantage of advances in information technology and enhancing the security features of those services that are related to homeland security.

Overseas, the nonimmigrant visa application fee will increase to $65 (from $45). This increased fee will recover the actual cost of the service, including the Machine Readable Visa and processing through our sophisticated name-check technology. Immigrant visa fees will rise to $335 (from $325). Adjustments to fees of services for American citizens overseas include the Consular Report of Birth Abroad documentation fee, which will be raised to $65 (from $40), while the fee for performance of notarial services will be lowered to a two-tiered schedule costing $20 to $30, depending on service rendered (from $55).

Information about the new fee schedule was published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2002. The final rule was promulgated on May 16, 2002.