B-1/B-2 Visa Cost

B-1/B-2 cost is simpler than many work or immigrant categories, but it is still more than one line item for some travelers.

For most visitor cases, the starting point is the visa application fee. After that, the real budget may also include travel to interview, document prep, photos, translations, and any post-interview logistics tied to passport return or travel timing.

The B-1/B-2 visa entry in the U.S. pack currently lists the main government fee like this:

For many travelers, this is the headline number they see first. But that number only covers the main visa application fee itself. It does not automatically capture everything the traveler may spend to get from a prepared case to a completed interview process.

One important detail: the $185 MRV fee is non-refundable even if the visa is denied. That means a traveler who is refused at interview has already spent the fee with no way to recover it, which makes case preparation before the interview even more valuable.

Some nationalities also face a visa reciprocity or issuance fee on top of the MRV fee. This fee varies by country of passport and can range from $0 to $303 or more depending on the reciprocal agreement between the applicant's country and the United States. The Department of State publishes a reciprocity schedule by country, and travelers should check it before budgeting because this cost is not always obvious until late in the process.

That is why a realistic B-1/B-2 budget should treat the application fee as the base cost, not always the full cost.

In practice, many visitor cases also need room for:

• visa photos (typically $10–$20, but varies by country)
• travel to the interview location if the post is not local — this can mean flights, hotels, and ground transport if the nearest embassy or consulate is in another city or country
• translations or document preparation where relevant
• financial document assembly, including bank statements, employer letters, and property records
• flexibility for changed travel timing if passport return is slower than expected

Interview logistics alone can be a meaningful budget item. Applicants in countries with only one or two U.S. consular posts may need to travel hundreds of miles, and if the interview is rescheduled, the cost doubles. Planning for at least one overnight stay near the embassy is a practical precaution.

These are not always large costs individually, but they add up because visitor travel plans are often date-sensitive. A traveler who only budgets the application fee may underestimate the real cost of preparing and completing the case.

Unlike an employer-filed petition, B-1/B-2 cost usually sits on the traveler side of the case.

That means the applicant or the applicant's sponsor usually plans for:

• the visa application fee
• interview-day logistics
• supporting-document preparation
• the travel-side consequences of any post-interview delay

If another person is funding the trip, that may strengthen or weaken the case depending on how clearly the sponsor arrangement is documented and explained.

The most common B-1/B-2 budgeting mistakes are:

• treating the visa fee as the whole cost of the case
• forgetting interview travel or local logistics
• underestimating the role of documentation and translations
• making fixed travel assumptions before the passport is actually returned

The better approach is to budget in sequence: application fee, document readiness, interview logistics, and post-interview timing risk.