A U.S. B-2 visitor visa costs $185 to apply, and that fee is non-refundable whether the visa is issued or denied. Depending on your nationality, you may owe an additional reciprocity fee when the visa is actually issued, and if you cross into the United States by land you will pay another $30 for your I-94 record. Travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries can often skip the B-2 process entirely and enter through ESTA for about $40. The full picture of US B-2 visa fees comes together once you know which of these add-ons apply to you.
The $185 Application Fee
Every B-2 applicant pays a $185 nonimmigrant visa application fee, formally called the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee. It is set by federal regulation and applies at every U.S. embassy and consulate.1eCFR. 22 CFR 22.1 – Schedule of Fees for Consular Services The same $185 covers any non-petition-based B-category visa, so a combined B-1/B-2 costs the same as a standalone B-2.2U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services
You pay before your interview, and the fee is due regardless of the outcome. A denial does not trigger a refund. The payment funds biometric collection, document verification, and the interview itself. It buys review, not approval.
Reciprocity Fees by Nationality
On top of the $185, some applicants owe a reciprocity fee (also called an issuance fee) if the visa is approved. Federal law directs the State Department to charge nationals of a given country fees that correspond to what that country charges Americans for similar visas.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1351 – Nonimmigrant Visa Fees If a country charges American tourists $160 for a visitor visa, the U.S. sets a matching reciprocity fee for that country’s nationals, accounting for the $185 MRV fee already collected.4U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 403.8 – Nonimmigrant Visa Reciprocity
The reciprocity fee varies widely. Citizens of many countries pay nothing beyond the $185 application fee; nationals of a few countries face reciprocity charges of $100 or more. Unlike the application fee, reciprocity is collected only when the visa is issued, so a denial means you never owe it.5U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 601.5 – Visa Fees Look up your exact amount on the State Department’s reciprocity schedule at travel.state.gov by selecting your country and visa class before you apply.
The $30 I-94 Fee at Land Borders
If you enter the United States at a land border rather than by air or sea, you pay a separate $30 fee for your I-94 arrival/departure record. It combines a longstanding $6 land border processing charge with a $24 fee added by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21), which took effect September 30, 2025.6Federal Register. CBP Immigration Fees Required by HR-1 for Fiscal Year 2025 The I-94 is issued by Customs and Border Protection at the port of entry, entirely separate from your visa and from anything paid to the State Department. Travelers arriving by air or sea generally receive an electronic I-94 at no extra cost.
A Cheaper Alternative: ESTA
Not everyone who wants to visit the United States needs a B-2. Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries can apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) instead. It currently costs $40.27.7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Official ESTA Application Website That is less than a quarter of the B-2 fee, and approval usually arrives within minutes.
The tradeoff is flexibility. ESTA caps your stay at 90 days, and you cannot extend it or change status once you arrive.8U.S. Department of State. Visa Waiver Program A B-2 typically allows stays of up to six months and can be extended. If your trip is short and your country participates in the program, ESTA saves you roughly $145 and a consular interview. If you need longer than 90 days, plan to seek medical treatment, or have previously been denied ESTA authorization, the B-2 is likely your only route.
Who Is Exempt From the Application Fee
Most B-2 applicants have no way around the $185, but a few categories are exempt. The Foreign Affairs Manual waives the MRV fee for holders of diplomatic (A) visas, international organization (G) visas, NATO visas, and certain transit (C-3) visas. J-visa participants in official U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs also pay nothing.9U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 403.4 – NIV Fees
One exemption matters specifically for B-2 travelers: the fee can be waived or reduced for someone coming primarily to provide charitable services involving health care, food, housing, or job training for people in need.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1351 – Nonimmigrant Visa Fees Outside these narrow categories, the fee applies to every applicant, including children and infants.
How Payment and Fee Validity Work
You pay through the visa appointment portal used by your local U.S. embassy or consulate. Most portals accept credit or debit cards for instant confirmation. Some embassies also let you generate a deposit slip and pay in cash at a designated bank, then enter the receipt number back into the portal. The system will not release interview slots until it registers payment.
The $185 is non-refundable and non-transferable. You cannot recover it if the visa is denied, and you cannot apply someone else’s payment to your application.5U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 601.5 – Visa Fees Your payment receipt is valid for one year from the date you pay. Miss that window and the receipt expires; you pay the $185 again.
This is where people lose money. If you pay before your supporting documents are ready and then take months to gather bank statements, itineraries, or an employer letter, you can run out the clock. Pay when your file is substantially in order, not as the first step in a process you have not fully planned.
Extending Your Stay Costs Extra
If you are already in the United States on a B-2 and need more time, you file Form I-539 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to request an extension. This is a separate filing with its own fee, payable to USCIS rather than the State Department. USCIS updated its fee schedule in 2024, and the amount changes periodically, so check the current figure on the USCIS fee calculator at uscis.gov before filing.
File before your authorized stay expires. An overstay followed by an extension request will almost certainly be denied, and the overstay itself can make you ineligible for future visas. Processing takes several months, and you are generally allowed to remain in the country during that time as long as the application was filed on time.
Total Cost at a Glance
What a B-2 applicant should plan to pay:
- Application (MRV) fee: $185 for every applicant, due before the interview and non-refundable
- Reciprocity fee: $0 to over $100, depending on nationality, charged only if the visa is issued
- I-94 at a land border: $30 at the port of entry
- Extension of stay: a separate USCIS filing fee on Form I-539 if you need more time
Beyond the government charges, translation of foreign-language documents typically runs $20 to $60 per page, and notarized affidavits of support usually cost $10 to $20. These are not consular fees, but they catch applicants off guard when the embassy asks for documents they did not expect to submit.