F-3 Government Filing Fees — 2026 Current Costs

Understanding F-3 Visa Costs Beyond the Petition Fee

The F-3 visa reunites U.S. citizens with their married adult sons and daughters — a category defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act under the family-based preference system. What applicants often underestimate is the multi-stage fee structure: the petitioner pays USCIS to establish the family relationship, the beneficiary pays the State Department for immigrant visa processing, and each component operates on its own fee schedule. The difference between knowing these costs in advance and discovering them at each deadline determines whether the case proceeds smoothly or stalls while the family scrambles to pay an unexpected charge.

Here's the honest answer: F-3 visa fees are not bundled, and they are not static. USCIS adjusts petition fees through biennial or triennial fee rules published in the Federal Register. The State Department sets consular processing and visa issuance fees separately, updated as needed and posted on travel.state.gov. Budgeting for the full process requires checking both agencies' current schedules at the time you file — not relying on what another family paid two years ago.

The I-130 Petition Fee — What the U.S. Citizen Pays First

The F-3 process begins when the U.S. citizen files Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to prove the qualifying relationship — in this case, marriage to a son or daughter and the son or daughter's own marriage. USCIS charges a filing fee for the I-130. As of 2026, confirm the current I-130 fee on the USCIS fee schedule at uscis.gov/forms before filing — fees change periodically through published fee rules, and quoting an outdated amount delays the petition if the check or money order is short.

The petitioner — the U.S. citizen parent — pays this fee at filing. USCIS does not invoice it later or allow installment payments. If the petitioner qualifies for a fee waiver under Form I-912 based on income below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, receipt of certain public benefits, or financial hardship, the waiver request must be filed with the I-130. Approval is not automatic; denials require resubmission with the full fee. The I-130 fee is non-refundable whether the petition is approved, denied, or withdrawn.

The National Visa Center Processing Fee

After USCIS approves the I-130, the case transfers to the National Visa Center (NVC), which collects documents and schedules the immigrant visa interview. The NVC charges a processing fee per applicant — the beneficiary and any derivative family members applying for visas based on the same petition. This fee covers case processing and the DS-260 immigrant visa application review.

As of 2026, the NVC processing fee is set by the State Department and posted on travel.state.gov. Verify the current amount before the NVC invoices the case. Payment is made electronically through the NVC's online portal once the case is assigned an NVC case number. The fee is per person, so if the married son or daughter has children under 21 who qualify as derivative beneficiaries on the same petition, each derivative pays the processing fee separately.

The NVC will not schedule the visa interview until the processing fee is paid and all required civil documents — birth certificates, marriage certificates, police certificates, financial support evidence — are submitted and accepted. A missed payment deadline does not invalidate the petition, but it extends the wait before the interview, and F-3 cases already face multi-year backlogs due to annual visa number limits.

The Visa Issuance Fee (Reciprocity Fee)

If the consular officer approves the visa application at the interview, the beneficiary pays a visa issuance fee before the visa is printed. The amount is set by reciprocity agreements between the United States and the applicant's country of nationality — meaning the fee the U.S. charges nationals of Country X matches what Country X charges U.S. citizens for comparable visas.

Most countries have a standard immigrant visa issuance fee, but some have higher or lower amounts based on their own fee structures. The State Department publishes a reciprocity schedule by country at travel.state.gov/reciprocity. The applicant's nationality — not the country where the interview occurs — determines which fee applies. For example, a Brazilian national interviewing at the U.S. consulate in São Paulo pays the fee listed under Brazil, even if the petitioner is a U.S. citizen who has never lived in Brazil.

The visa issuance fee is collected after the interview, typically on the day of approval or shortly thereafter, depending on the consulate's payment procedures. It is separate from the visa processing fee paid to the NVC earlier in the case.

The Affidavit of Support — No Government Fee, But a Required Cost Component

The petitioner or a joint sponsor must file Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, proving they can financially support the intending immigrant at 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size. USCIS and the State Department do not charge a fee to file the I-864 — it is submitted as part of the NVC document collection or brought to the interview — but the form requires recent tax transcripts, W-2s, and proof of current income, which may carry third-party costs if the petitioner must request copies from the IRS or state tax agencies.

If the petitioner's income falls short of the 125% threshold, a joint sponsor who meets the requirement can file a separate I-864. The joint sponsor is not charged a government fee either, but they assume the same legal obligation to support the immigrant financially. The Affidavit of Support is binding until the immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, works 40 qualifying quarters (approximately 10 years), dies, or permanently leaves the United States.

Medical Examination Fees — Country-Specific, Not Set by the U.S. Government

Every immigrant visa applicant must undergo a medical examination by a panel physician approved by the U.S. consulate in the country where the interview occurs. The physician completes Form I-693 or the consular equivalent (DS forms vary by location) and seals the results, which the applicant presents at the interview.

The examination fee is set by the panel physician, not by USCIS or the State Department, so it varies by country and even by clinic within the same city. The cost typically includes the physician's consultation, required vaccinations (or proof of prior vaccination), laboratory tests for communicable diseases, and the sealed report. Applicants who have not received all vaccines required by U.S. immigration law — measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus, hepatitis B, and others depending on age — will be charged for the vaccines during the exam.

Panel physicians do not accept insurance from U.S. or foreign insurers as primary payment. The applicant pays out of pocket and may seek reimbursement from their insurer afterward, depending on the policy's coverage of pre-immigration medical services. The State Department publishes a list of approved panel physicians by country at travel.state.gov; the list includes contact information, but not fee schedules. Contact the clinic directly before booking the appointment to confirm the total cost.

What If the Petition Is Filed Before a Fee Increase?

USCIS fee rules specify an effective date — the date the new fees take effect. Petitions postmarked or filed electronically before the effective date are subject to the old fee schedule. Petitions filed on or after the effective date must include the new fee, even if the petitioner mailed the check the day before but the envelope arrived late.

If a petitioner files under the old fee schedule but USCIS receives the petition after the effective date and the check is short, USCIS issues a rejection notice and returns the entire filing. The petitioner must resubmit with the correct fee — which resets the filing date for priority date purposes. In the F-3 category, where backlogs are measured in years and the priority date (the date the I-130 is filed) determines when the beneficiary can apply for the visa, losing even a week matters. Check the USCIS fee schedule and any pending fee rule final publications in the Federal Register before filing.

What If the Beneficiary's Country Requires Additional Fees?

Some countries impose exit fees, document authentication fees, or consular service fees that are separate from U.S. government charges. For example, certain countries require applicants to obtain police certificates from multiple jurisdictions, and each issuing authority charges its own fee. Others require notarization or apostille of civil documents before they are accepted by the NVC, and those services carry local costs.

The National Visa Center's instructions specify which documents require authentication or translation, but the cost of obtaining them is the applicant's responsibility. Translation fees vary by language, document length, and whether the translator is certified. The NVC requires certified translations for any document not in English — birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court records — and the certification must state that the translator is competent in both languages and that the translation is accurate.

Budgeting for the F-3 process requires accounting for these country-specific costs in addition to the U.S. government fees. The NVC provides checklists by country listing required documents; review the checklist early and contact local service providers for fee estimates.

What If Premium Processing or Expedited Adjudication Is Needed?

USCIS does not offer premium processing for Form I-130. The petition is adjudicated in the order received, and processing times vary by USCIS service center and current workload. As of 2026, check the posted processing times for I-130 family-based petitions on the USCIS website before filing; the estimates are updated monthly and reflect the time from receipt to decision for cases filed several months earlier.

If the petitioner faces urgent circumstances — serious illness, documented emergencies — USCIS may consider an expedite request, but approval is discretionary and not guaranteed. There is no fee to request an expedite, but the request must be submitted with supporting evidence, and USCIS evaluates it against specific criteria published in the policy manual. Denial of an expedite request does not affect the petition itself; it simply means the case proceeds in the regular queue.

The National Visa Center similarly does not offer paid expedited processing. Cases are scheduled for interviews based on visa number availability and the order in which the NVC receives completed documentation. The only way to accelerate the timeline is to submit all required documents and fees as soon as the NVC requests them.

Budgeting for the Full F-3 Timeline

The F-3 category is subject to annual numerical limits — 23,400 visas worldwide per fiscal year. When demand exceeds supply, a backlog forms, and the priority date (the date USCIS receives the I-130) determines when the beneficiary can proceed to the NVC stage. As of 2026, F-3 priority dates for most countries are several years behind the current date, meaning the I-130 is filed and approved long before the visa interview occurs.

This extended timeline affects fee planning in two ways. First, the fees paid at filing — the I-130 fee — are non-refundable even if the case takes years to complete. Second, the fees paid later — NVC processing, visa issuance, medical exam — may increase between the time the petition is filed and the time the interview is scheduled. The State Department adjusts consular fees periodically, and reciprocity agreements change when foreign governments change their own fee structures.

Applicants should not assume the amounts they research at the beginning of the process will still apply when the case reaches the consular stage. Budget with the understanding that fees may rise, and confirm the current amounts at each payment deadline by checking the official schedules.

Comparing F-3 Costs to Other Family Preference Categories

Fee Waivers and Financial Hardship

Petitioners who cannot afford the I-130 filing fee may request a fee waiver by filing Form I-912 with the petition. USCIS evaluates waiver requests based on household income relative to the federal poverty guidelines, receipt of means-tested public benefits (such as Supplemental Security Income, SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF), or documented financial hardship.

The waiver applies only to the USCIS filing fee — the I-130. It does not waive the State Department fees charged later in the process: the NVC processing fee or the visa issuance fee. Those fees are set and collected by a different agency and are not subject to the I-912 waiver process. If a petitioner qualifies for and receives an I-130 fee waiver, they should still budget for the full consular processing costs when the case reaches the NVC.

The State Department does not have a general fee waiver program for immigrant visa processing. In rare cases involving demonstrated financial hardship and humanitarian circumstances, a consular officer may reduce or waive certain fees at discretion, but this is not a standard option and requires formal request and supporting documentation at the consulate level.

How the Law Offices of Peter D. Chu Guides Families Through Fee Planning

At the Law Offices of Peter D. Chu in San Diego, immigration cases are handled with attention to both the legal requirements and the financial realities families face over multi-year timelines. The firm prepares detailed fee schedules for clients at the start of the F-3 process, explaining what each charge covers, when it is due, and where to verify the amounts before payment. The $250 consultation provides an opportunity to review the full cost structure, compare it to the family's budget, and plan for fee increases that may occur during the backlog period.

The firm's approach includes checking USCIS and State Department schedules at each stage, advising clients on fee waiver eligibility for the I-130, and coordinating with clients abroad to ensure they understand the medical exam and document authentication costs in their home countries. Families are not left to discover fees at each deadline — they receive a roadmap from petition filing through visa issuance, with cost estimates that account for the multi-stage nature of consular processing.

Verifying Current Fees Before Every Payment

The single most important practice in F-3 fee management is verifying the current amount on the official schedule before writing the check, initiating the electronic payment, or scheduling the medical exam. USCIS posts the fee schedule at uscis.gov/forms, organized by form number. The State Department posts visa processing fees at travel.state.gov and reciprocity fees at travel.state.gov/reciprocity, searchable by country.

These schedules are updated when fee rules take effect or when reciprocity agreements change. The updates are not retroactive — a petition filed before a fee increase is subject to the old fee; a petition filed after the increase requires the new fee — so the filing date matters. Similarly, the visa issuance fee is the amount in effect on the date the visa is issued, not the date the I-130 was filed years earlier.

Applicants should bookmark these official sources and check them at each payment stage rather than relying on fee amounts quoted in guides, forums, or older cases. Immigration law forums and attorney websites may contain accurate information at the time of publication, but they are not updated in real time when fees change. The government schedule is the authoritative source.

When Fees Change Between Filing and Interview

Because F-3 backlogs often span multiple years, fee increases frequently occur between the time the I-130 is filed and the time the beneficiary interviews for the visa. The petitioner who paid the I-130 fee in 2024 may find that the NVC processing fee and visa issuance fee have increased by the time the case becomes current in 2028 or later. This is not an error or a penalty — it reflects the normal operation of separate fee schedules maintained by USCIS and the State Department.

Families should not assume the total cost they calculate at the beginning of the process is locked in. Build a contingency into the budget for fee increases, and review the official schedules when the NVC invoices the case and again before the visa interview. The priority date becoming current is a time-sensitive event — the NVC sets a deadline to pay fees and submit documents — and learning the fee has increased only at that point, without the funds to pay it immediately, can delay the interview until the next visa bulletin cycle.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about F-3 visa government filing fees and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration fees are subject to change through federal rulemaking and international reciprocity agreements. Fee amounts, waiver eligibility, and payment procedures depend on individual circumstances, the applicant's country of nationality, and the specific USCIS service center or consulate handling the case. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship with the Law Offices of Peter D. Chu. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a licensed immigration attorney.

Need Personalized Immigration Guidance? The Law Offices of Peter D. Chu offers a $250 consultation to review your F-3 case, verify current filing fees, assess fee waiver eligibility, and prepare a complete cost timeline from petition to visa issuance. Contact the firm at 4615 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111, or call 858-268-8823 to schedule your consultation. The firm serves families throughout Southern California and represents clients before USCIS, the National Visa Center, and U.S. consulates worldwide.

Schedule a consultation with the Law Offices of Peter D. Chu — 4615 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111 · 858-268-8823 · Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:30 PM. Consultation fee: $250.