The United States Department of State has postponed the date for the increase of worldwide visa fees to June 17. The original date for the increase was May 30. The decision to postpone the increase was made in response to public outcry. Some applicants would have had to pay up to Sh42,000 to acquire a visa. The new fees will still be higher than the current fees, but they will not be as high as the original proposed fees. The Department of State has said that the new fees are necessary to cover the cost of processing visa applications. They have also said that the fees will be used to improve the security of the visa process.
The following are some of the reasons why the US government decided to postpone the increase in visa fees:
The public outcry against the increase was significant. Many people felt that the increase was too high and would make it more difficult for people to travel to the United States.
The increase in visa fees would have had a negative impact on tourism. Many people who were planning to travel to the United States would have been forced to cancel their trips if the increase had gone into effect.
The increase in visa fees would have had a negative impact on businesses. Many businesses rely on international travel, and the increase in visa fees would have made it more expensive for them to do business.
The US government has said that they will continue to review the visa fee structure and that they may make further changes in the future.
