The US Consulate is to charge new fees for non-immigrant visas (NIVs) from June 4.

Also called Machine-Readable Visas (MRVs), the fees now have a tiered structure for different categories.

Applicants for a B1/B2 tourist/ business visitor visa will pay $140, as will all student and exchange-visitors.

The application fee for a petition-based visa meanwhile, will cost $150. This includes H visas for temporary workers and trainees; L visas for intra-company transferees; O visas for aliens with extraordinary ability; P visas for athletes, artists, and entertainers; Q visas for international cultural exchange visitors; and R visas for religious occupations.

Fiances of US citizens applying for K visas will pay $350. The fee for E visas for treaty-traders and treaty-investors will be $390.

The visa fees cover administration and processing costs, which have to be recovered by law by the State Department.