If you are applying for a U.S. visa to visit, study, work temporarily, or join a fiance(e), the first fee you pay is the MRV fee — the nonimmigrant visa application fee charged by the U.S. Department of State. This is different from the USCIS fees that apply to green cards and citizenship.
Informational only — not legal advice. Fees change; confirm current amounts on travel.state.gov before paying.
The answer first
| Visa class | Examples | MRV fee (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| B, C, D, F, I, J, M, T, U, TN | Tourist/business, transit, student, exchange | $185 |
| H, L, O, P, Q, R | Petition-based temporary workers | $205 |
| K | Fiance(e) / spouse of U.S. citizen | $265 |
| E | Treaty trader/investor (E-1, E-2, E-3) | $315 |
The MRV fee is paid before your interview and is non-refundable whether the visa is approved or refused. See the full breakdown on our MRV fees page.
What “MRV” means and what it covers
MRV stands for Machine Readable Visa. The fee covers the processing of your application and the consular interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate. It does not cover:
- Any USCIS petition behind the visa — for example, a petition-based work visa requires an approved Form I-129, and a K-1 fiance(e) visa requires an approved Form I-129F. The U.S. petitioner pays those USCIS fees separately.
- A visa issuance (reciprocity) fee, which depends on your nationality and is only charged after approval for some categories and countries.
Petition-based vs non-petition-based
The $185 vs $205 split confuses people. The rule of thumb:
- $185 applies to categories you can apply for directly, without USCIS first approving a petition — tourists (B), students (F/M), most exchange visitors (J), transit (C/D), and others.
- $205 applies to categories that require an approved USCIS petition first — the temporary worker classes H, L, O, P, Q and R.
E (treaty) visas at $315 and K (fiance) visas at $265 are special cases with their own fee.
The new $250 Visa Integrity Fee
Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1) created a $250 Visa Integrity Fee that applies to most nonimmigrant visa categories, payable when the visa is issued — on top of the MRV fee. Key points:
- It applies per visa, including to dependents (H-4, L-2, F-2, J-2, etc.).
- It cannot be waived or reduced, and may rise with inflation.
- Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) travelers and immigrant visa applicants are exempt.
- It may be refundable for travelers who comply with all visa conditions, though the process was not yet defined.
As of mid-2026, the fee had been signed into law but was not yet being collected — the State Department had not issued implementation guidance to embassies. Treat the extra $250 as a likely near-future cost and confirm before you travel.
MRV vs USCIS fees: don’t mix them up
A common mistake is assuming the MRV fee covers the whole process. For petition-based and family cases it does not — there is usually a USCIS fee first and the State Department fee second. To see the USCIS side, browse our USCIS form fees, and read how much a green card costs for an example that spans both agencies.
Sources and accuracy
MRV fees are from the U.S. Department of State — Fees for Visa Services, current as of June 2026. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm current fees on travel.state.gov and consult a licensed immigration attorney for advice. See our methodology.