In this post, I briefly discuss the updated E2 visa fee.

The Updated E2 Visa Fee

Starting from May 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of State is increasing virtually all nonimmigrant visa fees to align more closely with the cost of processing these applications. This means that tourist and student visas will be rising from $160 to $185, while  the E2 visa fee will be rising by a whopping from $205 to $315. While I don’t want my clients to pay more, this increase kind of makes sense since E2 visa applications require extra attention because of their complexity.

Now, I know what you might be thinking, “A $110 increase in the E2 visa fee? That’s not so bad.” But, every penny counts – especially when you’re investing tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up your business in the US. 

And unfortunately that’s not all you need to worry about; there’s another e2 related fee to consider – the reciprocity fee.

The E2 Visa Reciprocity Fee

If you’re considering the E2 visa, make sure you check the State Department’s reciprocity table. When you look closely at this table, you will notice that nationals of many countries aren’t required to pay a reciprocity fee. Others have to pay a marginal reciprocity fee. For example, as of May 2023, UK citizens have to pay $105, while Canadians have to pay $40. Unfortunately, citizens of some countries get hit with a massive reciprocity fee. Australians, for example, are required to pay a whopping $3,574.

But fortunately, there’s a silver lining! 

The reciprocity fee doesn’t have to be paid until the visa is approved, so you have some time to prepare. Hopefully when your visa application is approved, you will be so excited that you won’t mind paying the extra fee.

To sum it up, the E2 visa fee is ballooning from $205 to $315. And on top of that, you need to look up the reciprocity fee that applies to your country. As an entrepreneur, I understand that every dollar counts. But don’t let these fees discourage you from pursuing your dream of establishing a business in the US.

Thanks for your time!