Without much advance notice (or much publicity) the Department of State has lowered the K-1 visa issuance fee from $350 to $240. The change was made as part of a larger shift in visa fees. The shift is due to the Department of State’s reassessment of how much work (and money) it involves to process a visa. The State Department is required to pay for its visa services through the fees that it charges.
Put differently, the Department of State has determined that it takes (almost) a third less time, effort and money for it to process K-1 visas.
All applicants paying for the K-1 visa fee after April 13, 2012 will be charged the lower fee. To learn more about consular processing for K-1 visa applicants, please contact a K-1 visa lawyer.