Students and visitors to pay more as service costs increase
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Student and Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) applicants are to pay more for United States visa from 30 May 2023, Washington has announced in the Federal Register.
The publication said: “The fee for B-1/B-2 visitor visas, Border Crossing Cards for Mexican citizens aged 15 and above, and student and exchange visitor visas will increase from $160 to $185.
“Also, the fee for certain petition-based non-immigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will increase from $190 to $205.
“The fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicants in a specialty occupation (E category) will increase from $205 to $315.”
Determination of visa fees
The NIV fees are set based on the actual cost of providing NIV services and are determined after conducting a study of the cost of such services, the publication explained, according to The PUNCH.
“The department uses an activity-based costing methodology to calculate, annually, the cost of providing consular services, including visa services.
“The fees for most non-petition based NIVs were last updated in 2012, and certain other NIV fees were last updated in 2014.
“Other consular fees are not affected by this rule, including the waiver of the two-year residency required fee for certain exchange visitors.
“Visas for work and tourism are essential to President Biden’s foreign policy, and we recognise the critical role international travel plays in the U.S. economy.”
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US sees 80% rise in international students. Nigeria in the top 10
New international student enrolment in the US has risen 80 per cent, according to the 2022 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, which shows Nigerians with a 12.3 per cent increase to 14,438.
The figures are for the 2021/2022 academic year.
The report, released by the Institute of International Education and the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, highlights US higher education as the destination of choice for international students.
‘‘The 2022 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released today, finds that new international student enrollment in the United States has rebounded and increased by 80 per cent, raising the total number of international students enrolled in U.S. institutions by four per cent,” the report said.
“This strong rebound and growth confirm that the United States remains the destination of choice in higher education, with over 948,000 international students.”
90% return to in-person classes
‘‘International students are returning to in-person studies in the United States, with 90 per cent of all enrolled students attending in-person classes,” the report added.
“The return to campuses allows international students to build life-long connections with American peers, increase collaboration within and across fields of study, and grow America’s international partnerships to address current and global challenges.
‘‘The new Open Doors Report indicates there was a 12.3 per cent increase in the number of students from Nigeria studying in the United States for the 2021/2022 academic year.
“This represents a total of 14,438 Nigerian students, which is 33 per cent of all African students studying in the United States.
“This means that Nigeria remains the leading source of students from Africa and the 10th largest country worldwide sending international students to the United States.”