General Information

NIV Fees

Map to the Nearest Shinhan Bank Branches

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Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) Processing Fee

The NIV processing fee is US$131 and can be paid for at any Shinhan Bank branch within Korea. (Applicants who paid the $100 application fee, prior to the January 1, 2008 increase to $131 and appear for visa interviews or apply by courier service must pay the difference -- $31 -- before applications will be processed.)

For further information and an explanation of the fee increase, please see the following press releases from the Department of State in Washington and the United States Embassy Seoul at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/dec/97384.htm, and from the U.S. Embassy, Seoul at http://seoul.usembassy.gov/pr_121407.html.

The processing fee is payable only in Korean Won and is based on the daily exchange rate at the bank. All NIV applicants, including children listed in a parent's passport, if applying for a U.S. NIV, must pay the processing fee. The bank will give each applicant a receipt showing payment. This fee receipt must be submitted with each application at the time of submission. Applicants cannot pay the processing fee at the Embassy.

Please note that the NIV processing fee is non-refundable. Only the following cases may request a refund letter for review by sending a fax to (02) 725-6843 or e-mail to seoulniv@state.gov. Please be sure to include your contact information, a copy of your fee receipt and detailed explanation. A request for a refund does not guarantee that we will issue a refund letter.

• Official (A, C3 and G) visa applicants who pay the fee in error.

• Diplomatic passport holders who pay the fee in error

• Applicants found ineligible under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended (INA), and pay the fee again within one year of their 221(g) ineligibility. These applicants received a green letter, which states that no new NIV processing fee is needed within one year.

• J visa applicants who are sponsored and funded by a Department of State or USAID pay the fee in error. 

Fees for other Embassy services, such as immigrant visas and U.S. passports, are payable only at the Embassy. Only nonimmigrant visa processing fees are paid through Shinhan Bank.

Blanket L-visa 

The U.S. Embassy will collect the $500 fraud prevention and detection fee for Blanket L-visa applicants. The fee will be payable at the time of the interview. No personal checks are acceptable and all fees are non-refundable.

• Cash (US dollar or Korean Won-equivalent to US dollar with exchange rates slightly higher than bank selling rate to avoid handling numerous coins of small denomination)  However combination of US Dollar & Korean Won is not accepted to the system.
• Credit Card
• US Postal Money Order
  

Appointment Scheduling and Additional Information

Applicants can schedule an interview appointment and get additional information through Visa Information Web Services at www.us-visaservices.com. The cost of the Visa Information Web Service is a flat fee of 12,000 Korean Won and is charged to a Visa or MasterCard. Purchasing a PIN for a flat fee will allow applicants to access additional information and schedule up to five appointments for immediate family members.

Courier Service - Ilyang or Hanjin

Two courier companies provide delivery service from the U.S. Embassy, Ilyang (1588-0002) HANJIN (1588-0011).

If found eligible, the applicant's passport will be delivered back to the applicant via selected courier once processing is complete. Applicants must completely fill-out and attach a courier receipt to their passports.

For fee and delivery information, please contact Ilyang or Hanjin directly or visit their websites.

Offices located near the U.S. Embassy

Ilyang:

• Jinhak Hoikwan Building, #102, 201-1 Cheongjin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
  Tel:02-720-8440 Fax:02-720-8442

• 230 Cheongjin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
  Tel:02-722-0399

HANJIN:

Diplomatic Passport Holders & Official Visa Classifications (A, C3, G)

Reciprocity Fee

The reciprocity fee will be determined at the time of interview and can be paid at the U.S. Embassy in cash, by money order, by traveler's check or by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and Diner's only). Personal checks are unacceptable. The fee can only be paid in U.S. dollars.