The United States has given the reasons behind the increase in the fees to be paid by Nigerian citizens applying for United States’ visas.

With effect from August 29, Nigerians will be required to pay a visa issuance fee or reciprocity fee, which will be charged in addition to the non-immigrant visa application fee also known as the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee paid by all applicants at the time of application.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the US embassy said the reciprocity fee is applicable for all approved applications for non-immigrant visas in B, F, H1B, I, L, and R visa classifications.

The statement said Nigerians whose applications for a non-immigrant visa were denied would however not be charged the new reciprocity fee, explaining that both reciprocity and MRV fees were non-refundable and that their amounts vary based on visa classification.

“These fees are based on the principle of reciprocity: when a foreign government imposes fees on the US citizens for certain types of visas, the United States will impose a reciprocal fee on citizens of that country or area of authority for similar types of visas.

“Nationals of a number of countries worldwide are currently required to pay this type of fee after their non-immigrant visa application is approved,” the statement said.

It added: “Since early 2018, the US government has engaged the Nigerian government to request that the Nigerian government change the fees charged US citizens for certain visa categories.

“After 18 months of review and consultations, the government of Nigeria has not changed its fee structure for US citizen visa applicants, requiring the US Department of State to enact new reciprocity fees in accordance with our visa laws.”

The mission further stated that the reciprocity fee which is to be paid only at the US Embassy or its Consulate General would be required for all Nigerian citizens worldwide regardless of where they were applying for a non-immigrant visa to the US.

Applicants are also required to pay $110 for B1, B2, B1/B2; F1 and F2 while H1B and H4 visas attract $180.  I visa applicants will pay $210 while L1,L2 applicants will pay $303, with R1 and R2 expected to pay $80.