The US B1/B2 visa fee in India is $185, paid in Indian Rupees at the consular exchange rate set by the Department of State. It is non-refundable whether the visa is approved or denied, and every applicant pays it individually, including children.1U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services The Rupee amount shifts as the consular exchange rate updates, so the figure on your payment slip today may not match what someone paid last month.
What the $185 Fee Covers
The official name is the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee. It funds consular processing of your application from document review through the interview and final decision. You owe it whether you are traveling for business meetings, tourism, or medical treatment.1U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services There is no reduced rate for minors, seniors, or any other group. Each person on a separate application pays their own $185.
Because the fee is denominated in dollars but collected in Rupees, the amount you transfer depends on the consular exchange rate posted by the Department of State. That rate will not always match what your bank or Google shows. Check the scheduling portal the day before you generate your slip so you know the exact Rupee figure.2U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India. Important Visa Information
Reciprocity Fee for Indian Nationals
Some nationalities pay an additional “reciprocity fee” when the visa is actually issued. Indian citizens pay $0 in reciprocity for B1/B2 visas, so the $185 MRV fee is your only mandatory government charge.3U.S. Department of State. U.S. Visa Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country – India The same reciprocity schedule sets validity: Indian nationals are typically issued B1/B2 visas with a 120-month (10-year) validity and multiple entries, though the consular officer makes the final call on each case.
Optional Courier Delivery Charges
After a decision is made, you can pick up your passport at the designated collection point at no cost, or pay for courier delivery. The rates are INR 850 for delivery within India and INR 3,200 for international delivery. Each applicant pays separately, so a family of four choosing courier delivery pays four times.4U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India. Courier Options These fees are entirely separate from the MRV fee and cover only the physical delivery of your passport.
How to Pay the Fee
Before paying anything, create a profile on USVisaScheduling.com and obtain your unique CGI reference number. That reference ties your payment to your application; without it the system will not recognize your transaction. The portal then generates a payment slip with the exact Rupee amount.
Payment methods available in India:
- NEFT bank transfer, initiated through your online banking portal by adding the visa payment account as a beneficiary using the details on your fee slip.
- IMPS mobile banking transfer, which processes faster than NEFT but follows the same setup.
- Cash at a designated bank branch, by presenting the printed fee slip to the teller.
For electronic transfers, the amount must match the slip exactly. Even a small discrepancy can stop the payment from crediting to your application. For cash, keep the branch receipt.
When the Fee Starts Counting and When It Expires
Your payment does not open the appointment calendar immediately. Cash payments generally take up to two business days to appear in the scheduling system; electronic transfers can register within a few hours. Until the system acknowledges the payment, you cannot book an interview slot.
Once activated, the MRV fee receipt is valid for one year from the date of payment. If you do not schedule and attend an interview within that year, the receipt expires and you lose the entire $185. There are no extensions and no refunds. Applicants get caught out by paying early, delaying document preparation, and then finding no interview slots left before expiration. Pay when you are genuinely ready to move within the next few months.
Total Cost for Indian Applicants
For most people, the math is short. The only required charge is the $185 MRV fee, paid in Rupees at the consular exchange rate. Add INR 850 if you want home delivery of your passport. There is no reciprocity fee, no SEVIS fee (that applies to student and exchange visitor categories, not B1/B2), and no separate interview scheduling charge.
A single applicant choosing in-country courier delivery pays $185 plus INR 850. A family of four applying together faces at minimum $740 in MRV fees before any delivery add-ons. The supporting logistics, such as passport photos, document courier services, travel to the embassy city, and a hotel if your interview is early in the morning in a city you do not live in, are real expenses to plan for even though none are government fees.