According to a report by Reuters on June 4, a US official and an internal State Department memorandum said that the Trump administration is considering charging an additional $1000 fee to tourists seeking expedited visa interviews and other non-immigrant visa applicants.
The current visa fee for entry into the United States with a tourist visa and other non-immigrant visas is $185. The proposed $1000 fee for this expedited service would be a premium service allowing certain individuals to skip the line during visa interviews.
The memorandum seen by Reuters indicates that this program could potentially be implemented as early as December.
This proposed visa appointment fee has not been reported before, but it is introduced alongside the “Golden Card” immigration program. The “Golden Card” program allows wealthy individuals to immigrate to the US by investing $5 million and enables those willing to pay to obtain US citizenship more quickly.
However, the memorandum states that the State Department’s legal team believes the risk of this fee program being rejected by the White House Office of Management and Budget or US courts is “very high.” The memorandum also notes that charging fees above the cost of services “violates established precedents of the Supreme Court.”
A State Department spokesperson told Reuters that the State Department does not comment on internal documents and communications.
The spokesperson said, “The State Department’s arrangements for non-immigrant visa interview appointments are dynamic, and we are constantly striving to improve our operations globally.”
According to the State Department’s latest annual report, in the fiscal year 2023, the State Department issued 10.4 million non-immigrant visas, including 5.9 million tourist visas.