Q: How do I pay my visa fee for my non-immigrant visa?

A: There have been numerous instances of payments intended for non-immigrant visa fees being sent to the wrong payment website. Non-immigrant visa fees can ONLY be paid via the https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-jm/niv/ website where you register your application and schedule your visa appointment. PLEASE DO NOT USE pay.gov to pay your non-immigrant visa fees. Pay.gov is reserved for payment of US passport fees only. If you erroneously pay your visa fee via pay.gov there is no guarantee your payment can be refunded, and you will still have to pay the visa application fee. It is your responsibility to ensure you pay your visa fee at the correct site.

This guidance applies to both first-time and renewal applications. Renewal applications are reviewed for eligibility based on current circumstances and prior visa use. All first-time and renewal applicants, including children, are required to complete a DS-160 application for a non-immigrant visa and pay the non-refundable, non-transferrable visa application (MRV) fee.

The visa fee is normally valid for one year but the Department of State has temporarily extended the validity of visa application fees until September 30, 2023 for all fees paid on or before September 29, 2022. If you have not scheduled a visa appointment by the fee expiration date you will forfeit the right to use the fee for a visa application — and that fee is not refundable.

Payment of the visa application fee is required regardless of whether the application results in the issuance of a US visa. Payment is also required for renewal applications in which the interview requirement is waived. Waiver of interview may be possible for applicants of certain age groups or for those who are applying to renew tourist or crew visas that have expired within the past four years. Eligibility for renewal processing is determined as you go through the process of paying the visa fee and scheduling an appointment on the https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-jm/niv/ website.

Q: So, what are the actual steps to pay my fee?

Please visit https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-jm/niv/ and complete a DS-160 visa application form. Upon completion of the form please print out the sheet that contains your confirmation number. You can then return to https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-jm/niv/ to create your user account and complete the registration process. After entering your confirmation number, you will have the option to pay the visa fee by credit card online or by cash via the National Commercial Bank. You will not be able to schedule an appointment until your payment has been received and recorded.

The https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-jm/niv/ website is your one-stop shop for non-immigrant visa applications. Please do not use any other websites to pay your visa fee. You will not be refunded for fees paid through other sites.

Q: What do I do if I have questions about my application?

For non-immigrant visa questions, please contact KingstonNIV@state.gov. For immigrant visa questions, please contact KingstonIV@state.gov. You can visit the following website for more information: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-JM/niv/information/contact_us. For further assistance, you can contact the call centre at 876-656-8535 or 876-630-2040, Mondays through Fridays, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

You can find more information about how to travel to the US on our website, www.kingston.usembassy.gov. Keep on top of embassy news on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Embassy-Jamaica and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter. For safety and security reasons, the US Embassy asks that all individuals arrive at the Embassy no more than 15 minutes before their designated appointment time.