Packet 3 - Application fee

[fm2002 0]

Mailing my Packet 3 today to the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. In the Packet 3 instructions it says;

APPLICATION FEE: Each K Visa applicant must pay in Thai baht the equivalent of US$131.00 non-immigrant visa fee, which is non-refundable, at any Thai Post Office. Please

mail in the receipt which is valid for one year.

It doesn't say who to make, what I'm guessing is a money order of sorts, out to ? When I mailed I-129F I got a money order at the US Post office and it was made out US Dept. of Homeland Security.

Does anyone know ?

[Ning 619]

Mailing my Packet 3 today to the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. In the Packet 3 instructions it says;

APPLICATION FEE: Each K Visa applicant must pay in Thai baht the equivalent of US$131.00 non-immigrant visa fee, which is non-refundable, at any Thai Post Office. Please

mail in the receipt which is valid for one year.

It doesn't say who to make, what I'm guessing is a money order of sorts, out to ? When I mailed I-129F I got a money order at the US Post office and it was made out US Dept. of Homeland Security.

Does anyone know ?

The fee is paid in cash (baht) at the Thai post office. They will issue a reciept which is mailed in or turned in at the interview.

[fm2002 0]

The fee is paid in cash (baht) at the Thai post office. They will issue a reciept which is mailed in or turned in at the interview.

Thanks for the speedy reply

So I mail in the receipt not a copy of the receipt ?

[Ning 619]

Thanks for the speedy reply

So I mail in the receipt not a copy of the receipt ?

Yes but keep a copy too.

[fm2002 0]

Yes but keep a copy too.

Well just got back from the Post Office and according to them the fee for K Visa (choice #4) is 10,850baht or 390USD. This sounds like the original fee for I-129F. In the Packet 3 instructions it says $131USD which is pretty close to choice #1 which is 4,340baht or $140USD.

Choice #4 says it for K Visa

Choice #1 says it for business/tourist, student, exchange, visitor and other visas

none of the choices list non-immigrant Visa fee as a choice

Not sure what to do ????

Edited December 19, 2011 by fm2002

[Ning 619]

Thanks Ning

I actually live in Thailand so luckily it's not a big deal for me to go back up there. However I live up North in Chiang Rai and I bet the form they have (see attachment) is outdated. I've read some of your posts in the Thai portal and you have helped others quite a bit. As the next step is the interview I'm starting to get nervous. May have a few more questions and would appreciate your advice !

One way to do this is to let the embasy know you will pay the fee the day of the interview & return the reciept that same day. Thats what we did because we simply forgot to do it before the interview because they reschedualed the date at the last minute. At that time they wouldnt let people mail in the P 3 stuff anyway. It took an extra 45 minutes to do this but we couldnt get the visa ofr 3 days anyway. They told us to bring the reciept when we came in to get the passport but we did it that same day to make sure.

Another would be to try to call them. This can be done in several ways. Best way is to buy a special pin number from the Thai PO that allows you to call directly inside to the visa section. It was about 400 baht I think for X amount of calls.

Send me a P M anytime & if I can help I will of course. There are several members on V J with a lot of experiance as well.

[fm2002 0]

One way to do this is to let the embasy know you will pay the fee the day of the interview & return the reciept that same day. Thats what we did because we simply forgot to do it before the interview because they reschedualed the date at the last minute. At that time they wouldnt let people mail in the P 3 stuff anyway. It took an extra 45 minutes to do this but we couldnt get the visa ofr 3 days anyway. They told us to bring the reciept when we came in to get the passport but we did it that same day to make sure.

Another would be to try to call them. This can be done in several ways. Best way is to buy a special pin number from the Thai PO that allows you to call directly inside to the visa section. It was about 400 baht I think for X amount of calls.

Send me a P M anytime & if I can help I will of course. There are several members on V J with a lot of experiance as well.

So after seeing the Post office form do you think choice # 1 is incorrect ? What will happen if I select choice #1 and it's wrong. Will they send a RFE or return the entire packet ?

[Ning 619]

So after seeing the Post office form do you think choice # 1 is incorrect ? What will happen if I select choice #1 and it's wrong. Will they send a RFE or return the entire packet ?

Yes I think its incorrect. They probably would inform you the fee was incorrect & ask you to pay the remainder prior to the issuance of the visa.

I am hoping someone that recently got a K visa would answer because I know these fees changed.

Again if you needed to you could just inform them with the P 3 that you will pay the prior to the issuance of the visa by bringing the reciept to them in person.

[jayne d 12]

Hi, the following fee information is available on the us embassy website in Bangkok. Hope this helps you.

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/niv_visafees.html

It states:

In order to comply with worldwide U.S. Department of State guidelines related to the implementation of new Machine Readable Visa (MRV) application fees, effective June 4, 2010, all applicants appearing for visa interviews must present a receipt in the amount of the MRV application fee, as listed below.

There is no longer one single visa application fee for all non-immigrant categories. If you are not sure which of the MRV application fees applies to you, please pay the Thai baht equivalent of U.S. $140. We will determine the correct fee at your visa appointment and advise you how to pay the difference. Only those individuals instructed by a consular officer not to pay are exempt from paying the non-refundable MRV application fee.

Nonimmigrant Visa Application Fees

Category

Fee (per person)

(a) Non-petition-based non-immigrant visa, including B, F, J, etc.

US$140

(b) H, L, O, P, Q and R category non-immigrant visa

US$150

© E category non-immigrant visa

US$390

(d) K category non-immigrant visa

(click here for more information)

US$350

The MRV visa application fee can be paid at any one of over 250 designated Thai Post offices nationwide. You cannot pay the MRV application fee at the U.S. Embassy. Please save your fee receipt and bring it with you on the day of your visa interview.

[Ning 619]

Yes I think its incorrect. They probably would inform you the fee was incorrect & ask you to pay the remainder prior to the issuance of the visa.

I am hoping someone that recently got a K visa would answer because I know these fees changed.

Again if you needed to you could just inform them with the P 3 that you will pay the prior to the issuance of the visa by bringing the reciept to them in person.

Jayne d found the answer. Also I copied below part that may help you see that they expected some confusion & have a way to do what I said above.

"There is no longer one single visa application fee for all non-immigrant categories. If you are not sure which of the MRV application fees applies to you, please pay the Thai baht equivalent of U.S. $140. We will determine the correct fee at your visa appointment and advise you how to pay the difference".

[Ban Hammer 14,271]

one post removed per op request, along with one quoting said op. post that quoted returned below minus the quote.

Thanks Ning

I actually live in Thailand so luckily it's not a big deal for me to go back up there. However I live up North in Chiang Rai and I bet the form they have (see attachment) is outdated. I've read some of your posts in the Thai portal and you have helped others quite a bit. As the next step is the interview I'm starting to get nervous. May have a few more questions and would appreciate your advice !

[fm2002 0]

Thanks for the updated info.

What perplexes me is I received the "Packet 3" instructions just about a month ago which said $131.00. The update jayne d provided is June 4. Can't understand why they wouldn't update the "Packet 3" info. If you go to US Embassy BKK website, Packet 3 it still says $131.00???????

Good news is the amount of choice #1 at the Thai Post Office was $140. Which I paid and sent the receipt with Packet 3.

Hope it works out. If it doesn't will report back here.