Visa Fees

All applicants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee at the time of their nonimmigrant visa interview. You may also be responsible for paying additional fees such as the SEVIS fee for students and exchange visitors, and reciprocal visa issuance fees depending on your nationality. Fees are payable in USD or Zambian Kwacha (cash only). The fees are:

• Tourist, business, and student visas: US $160.
• Petition-based visas (including employment visas): US $190.
• Citizens of certain countries are required to pay an additional reciprocity fee. The can only be determined at the time of interview.

For a complete explanation and list of visa fees, visit the travel.state.gov website.

SEVIS Fee (Additional fee for all F, J and M Visa Visitors)

The SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) fee is mandated by the U.S. Congress to support the automated system that keeps track of students and exchange visitors to ensure that they maintain their lawful status in the United States. Each student or exchange scholar issued an initial Form I-20 or DS-2019 is responsible for paying this fee before applying for a visa. Also, the visa officer must be able to verify that the relevant electronic record exists in the SEVIS database before an F-, J-, or M-class visa can be issued. SEVIS forms and electronic verification are also required for family member visas, i.e., F-2, M-2 or J-2 visas. Persons sponsored by the United States government are exempt from payment of the SEVIS fee if their program code begins with the letter G.

The SEVIS fee is $200 for students (F/M) and $160 for exchange visitors (J1). Applicants required to pay the SEVIS fee will also have to complete form I-901. Applicants should bring their SEVIS fee receipt to their visa interview. For instructions on how to pay the SEVIS fee, click here. For general information regarding the SEVIS fee, please refer to the SEVIS website.

Reciprocal Issuance Fees

There also may be additional visa issuance fees, depending on visa class, applicant nationality, and length of validity. Issuance fees are based on reciprocity with other countries. Issuance fees are only payable if the visa is issued and they are paid at the consular cashier following the interview. For information about reciprocity fees, please view the table of reciprocal issuance fees.