The U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan announced important news regarding new laws and additional fees in the U.S. visa application process. Significant changes have been implemented in the visa formalization procedure based on the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" recently signed by President Donald Trump, which translates to the "One Big Beautiful Law." More details can be found here.
The most notable update is the introduction of an additional "visa reciprocity fee" for nonimmigrant visa applicants, on top of the previously required $185 consular processing fee. This additional fee amounts to $250, significantly increasing the total costs. The embassy has officially confirmed this change.
According to the new law, this fee will be mandatory for all citizens seeking nonimmigrant visas to the U.S. Additionally, this amount has been adopted as a supplementary measure to fund border security and counteract artificial extensions of visa validity. The fee amount may be adjusted or redefined later by a decision of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
It is noted that, for now, only fees for nonimmigrant visas have increased. No announcements have been made regarding immigrant visas. Furthermore, the requirements for preparing documents accurately and thoroughly in the visa application process have become stricter. Visa service specialists emphasize that rejection rates have sharply risen during the Trump administration—even applicants with complete and well-prepared documents face increased denials.
According to Ambassador Jonathan Henick, visa applications from Uzbekistan to the U.S. have noticeably increased in recent years. The growth of the country's economy and improvements in citizens' financial conditions have led to a rising number of people interested in obtaining visas. However, as the ambassador noted, this process still requires time and patience.
In conclusion, the new law presents additional obstacles and costs for citizens planning to travel to the U.S. It is crucial to study all official requirements and financial conditions beforehand. Further changes and new regulations may be introduced in the future.
