US Visa Fees for Indians in 2026 – Complete Guide

Indian arrivals to the United States totalled approximately 2.3 million in 2023 according to the US National Travel and Tourism Office, and US consulates in India process the highest volume of B1/B2 applications globally. The US visa cost for Indians is set in US dollars by the US Department of State and converted at the prevailing exchange rate at payment, which means rupee amounts shift across application windows.

This guide covers the 2026 fee schedule for every non-immigrant and immigrant visa category, the MRV fee explained, how to pay the US visa fee in India through every accepted method, fee validity and refund rules, common payment issues with practitioner fixes, and frequently asked questions drawn from the highest-anxiety scenarios.

The United States offers various visa types, each catering to a specific purpose of travel. Here's a simplified overview of the most common ones:

For temporary stays like tourism, business, study, or work.

For those intending to live permanently in the United States.

The US visa cost for Indians in 2026 is set by the US Department of State and applies uniformly across all consulates in India. The Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee covers application processing and is required before booking the visa interview. The table below covers every active non-immigrant and immigrant category with the 2026 USD fee and INR equivalent.

The fee bands group US visas into four practical categories for Indian applicants: tourist and business, student, work, and immigrant. The category determines the MRV fee, documentation, scheduling route, and interview waiver eligibility. Each H3 below covers the practitioner specifics that Indian applicants ask about most often.

The B1/B2 visa is the most-applied US visa from India, covering both tourism and business meetings under a single application. The US tourist visa fees for Indians in 2026 are USD 185 per applicant, with the same fee applied whether the consulate issues a single-entry visa or the standard 10-year multiple-entry visa.

The US visa cost for Indian students is USD 185 for F1 academic, M1 vocational, and J1 exchange visitor categories. Indian students also pay the separate SEVIS I-901 fee directly to the US Department of Homeland Security, which is not part of the MRV fee.

The US work visa cost for Indians is USD 205 for both H1B specialty occupation and L1 intracompany transfer categories. Employer-sponsored fees including the H1B cap petition fee and fraud prevention fees are paid by the petitioning US employer rather than the applicant.

Immigrant visa fees range from USD 205 to USD 325 depending on the category, and most are processed through the National Visa Center before the consulate interview. The NVC handles fee collection for immigrant petitions filed in the United States by a US citizen or permanent resident relative.

The MRV fee must be paid before booking the visa interview, and the receipt number is required to access the scheduling portal. Indian applicants can pay through six accepted methods, with UPI offering the fastest confirmation and NEFT taking the longest.

The six accepted methods for US visa fee payment in India cover both online and offline channels:

Indian applicants can pay their US visa application fee through the following methods:

Bank Deposit

You can pay your nonimmigrant visa application fee in cash at the bank. At the bank, you must write your fee payment amount and your telephone number in the U.S. visa fee collection slip available at the bank. After receiving your payment, the bank will give you a receipt. Visit US Visa payment locations to check the exact location for each bank.

The US visa fee payment is a flat per-application charge with strict validity and refund conditions set by the US Department of State. Indian applicants planning to pay early or considering a refund after rejection should know the five rules below before initiating any MRV transaction.

🚫 Stop Signal: Do not make a second MRV payment if you believe the first payment failed. NEFT receipts can take 2 to 4 hours to reflect on the visa scheduling portal, and the second payment is treated as a separate non-refundable transaction. The US visa cost for Indian students and tourist applicants paid twice cannot be recovered through the US consulate or the bank. Wait for portal confirmation before retrying, and contact support-india@usvisascheduling.com if the payment does not reflect after 24 hours.

Most US visa fee payment issues fall into five categories that recur predictably across Indian applicants. Knowing the fix before the issue arises saves both the duplicate payment and the wasted scheduling window, particularly for applicants with time-sensitive travel plans like H1B start dates or F1 academic calendar deadlines.

Understanding US visa fees for Indians is crucial before applying. Whether you're a student, tourist, or business professional, ensuring you pay the correct amount and follow the right process can save you time and hassle. If you're ready to start your visa application, visit the official US visa website or consult with a visa expert for guidance.

For a seamless US visa application process, ensure you follow the payment steps correctly and schedule your interview on time. Good luck with your US travel plans!