{
  "slug": "visa-application-cost",
  "title": "Visa Application Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Visa Filing Fee Total Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/visa-application-cost",
  "summary": "Add up government fees, biometrics, medical exam, and translations for a visa application.",
  "description": "Nonimmigrant and immigrant visa costs are rarely just the headline filing fee. USCIS or consular application fees, the $85 biometrics fee, medical exam costs (typically $200-$500 depending on the panel physician and country), certified translations of civil documents, courier fees for document return, and photo fees all stack up per applicant. This calculator totals every line item for one applicant and multiplies by household size, since spouses and children each need their own application and biometrics in most categories. It also separates one-time government fees from third-party costs like the medical exam and translations, because government fees are fixed and non-negotiable while third-party costs vary by provider and country. Use it to budget before you file, not after you've already paid the first fee and discovered the rest.",
  "formula": "Total = applicants × (filing fee + biometrics + medical exam + translation + photos) + courier/misc.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=visa-application-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "filingFee",
      "label": "Government filing fee (per applicant)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 435,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "biometrics",
      "label": "Biometrics fee (per applicant)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 85,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "medical",
      "label": "Medical exam (per applicant)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 300,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "translation",
      "label": "Certified translations (per applicant)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 120,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "photos",
      "label": "Passport photos + misc (per applicant)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 25,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "applicants",
      "label": "Number of applicants",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 10
    },
    {
      "id": "courier",
      "label": "Courier / return shipping (total)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 40,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Total cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "perApplicant",
      "label": "Cost per applicant",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "govFees",
      "label": "Government fees (all applicants)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "thirdParty",
      "label": "Third-party costs (medical, translation, etc.)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Government filing fee (per applicant): 435 $",
      "Biometrics fee (per applicant): 85 $",
      "Medical exam (per applicant): 300 $",
      "Certified translations (per applicant): 120 $",
      "Passport photos + misc (per applicant): 25 $",
      "Number of applicants: 1",
      "Courier / return shipping (total): 40 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Total cost: $1,005",
      "Cost per applicant: $965",
      "Government fees (all applicants): $520",
      "Third-party costs (medical, translation, etc.): $485"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter government filing fee (per applicant) ($).",
      "Enter biometrics fee (per applicant) ($).",
      "Enter medical exam (per applicant) ($).",
      "Enter certified translations (per applicant) ($).",
      "Enter passport photos + misc (per applicant) ($).",
      "Enter number of applicants.",
      "Enter courier / return shipping (total) ($).",
      "Read your total cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "filingFee": 260,
        "biometrics": 50,
        "medical": 180,
        "translation": 70,
        "photos": 15,
        "applicants": 1,
        "courier": 25
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "filingFee": 435,
        "biometrics": 85,
        "medical": 300,
        "translation": 120,
        "photos": 25,
        "applicants": 1,
        "courier": 40
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "filingFee": 695,
        "biometrics": 135,
        "medical": 480,
        "translation": 190,
        "photos": 40,
        "applicants": 2,
        "courier": 65
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Do fees change often?",
      "a": "Yes. USCIS adjusted most filing fees significantly in April 2024, and consular fees can shift with exchange rates for visas processed abroad. Always check the current fee schedule on uscis.gov or travel.state.gov before you file, since paying an outdated amount gets your package rejected."
    },
    {
      "q": "Can I get a fee waiver?",
      "a": "USCIS Form I-912 fee waivers exist for some humanitarian categories and household income under 150% of the federal poverty line, but they don't cover most family and employment-based petitions. Check the specific form's eligibility before assuming you qualify."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why is the medical exam so variable?",
      "a": "Only panel physicians designated by USCIS or the embassy can perform the exam, and they set their own prices since there's no fee cap. Rural areas with fewer panel physicians often charge more due to limited competition."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should I use a lawyer for a straightforward filing?",
      "a": "For a single, clean case like a first-time spousal petition with no prior issues, many people self-file successfully. Add an attorney if there's a prior overstay, criminal record, denial history, or complex employment category, where a mistake costs far more than the $1,500-$3,000 flat fee."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/green-card-sponsorship-cost",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/naturalization-fee-total",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/work-visa-sponsorship-cost"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Visa Application Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/visa-application-cost)"
}