SINGAPOREANS who are going to study or work in the United States or who are airline crew who fly there will have to pay more for their visas.
Starting June 4, US consular sections worldwide will introduce a tiered fee structure for non-immigrant visas, which increases the fee from a flat rate of US$131 (S$183) to a range starting from US$140 to US$390 (S$547).
For most Singaporeans who require a visa, the increase would be less than US$20 (S$28). The increase is to reflect the true costs of processing such visas, said the embassy.
The large majority of Singaporeans - those who travel for business meetings or for lesiure - are not affected because they are under the visa waiver programme. They have to submit an application through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation - which does not cost a fee.
The US embassy in Singapore said that about 10,000 Singaporeans applied for visas to enter the US last year. Other than military personnel, who do not pay a visa processing fee, the biggest groups are students, airline crew or seamen, and workers.
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