CHENNAI: The United States on Thursday denied news reports that the fees for submitting H1B visas have been increased. Addressing a press conference, Chief of Consular Services in the US Consulate in Chennai, Nicholas Manring, said, “The news reports that the fees for submitting H1B petitions have increased are in fact untrue. The fees are the same as they were last year. And there are no current plans to change those fees.” “We are required by law to recover the cost of processing visas through the collection of visa application processing fees. The Department of State reviews the costs annually, worldwide, and adjusts fees for visa services up and down according to the review. There is no set schedule and this could happen at any time. The last change in our visa fees was on July 13, 2010,” he added. Manring also said that the US Consulate in Chennai has recorded a 27 per cent rise in the number of L visa applications in the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, the consulate launched a pilot programme last week to waive the interview procedure for people renewing visas. “This is primarily for tourist and short-term business travel visas, renewing within 48 months of expiration for B1/B2 visas,” he said. “This allows people to present their application and passport, have their photograph and fingerprints taken, but many will not have to then go on to be interviewed,” he added.
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