The MRV fee — short for Machine Readable Visa fee — is the US government's non-refundable visa application fee. For a B1/B2 visitor visa it is $185, and it is paid directly to the US government through the official payment channel for your country. No third party collects it on the government's behalf — not a travel agency, not a visa consultancy, and not Charta Visa. If anyone asks you to hand them the $185, that alone tells you something is wrong.
This guide covers what the fee pays for, exactly where to pay it, how long your receipt stays valid — including the 365-day rule that most websites get subtly wrong — and how to keep the MRV fee cleanly separate from every other cost in your B1/B2 application.
What the $185 actually covers
The MRV fee pays for the processing of your visa application: the consular review of your DS-160 form, the interview, and the adjudication of your case. Three properties define it, and all three come straight from the State Department's rules:
- It is charged whether you are approved or refused. The fee buys processing, not a visa. If your application is denied, the money is gone, and applying again means paying again.
- It is non-refundable. There is no mechanism to get it back — not for a refusal, not for a cancelled trip, not for a change of plans.
- It is non-transferable. It cannot be passed to another applicant, and it covers exactly one application. Every applicant pays their own fee, including children.
How and where you pay
You pay through the official appointment system designated for your country — for most countries that is ustraveldocs.com or the State Department's usvisa-info appointment portal; a few embassies instead direct applicants to a specific local bank. The exact channel is listed on the website of the US embassy or consulate where you will apply. The sequence is always the same:
- Complete and submit your DS-160 online.
- Create a profile on your country's official appointment site and follow its payment instructions — typically a bank transfer, cash deposit at a designated bank, card payment, or mobile payment, depending on the country.
- Pay the local-currency equivalent of $185, calculated at the consular exchange rate shown at checkout.
- Keep your receipt number. The system requires it to book your interview — without it, you cannot schedule anything.
Depending on the country, the payment can take one or two business days to register in the appointment system, so don't panic if you can't book the moment you pay.
How long your fee receipt is valid
Your MRV fee receipt is valid for 365 days from the date of payment — but the detail that matters is what has to happen within those 365 days. Per the State Department's own guidance: applicants have 365 days from payment to schedule an appointment (or submit an interview-waiver application, if eligible) before the payment expires. The interview itself does not need to take place within that window — the appointment just has to be booked in the system, even if the date you get is months further out. That distinction matters in countries with long queues: check the current interview wait times, and if your window is closing, book any available slot to lock in your fee — you can usually reschedule later.
Two more restrictions people miss: the fee is valid only in the country where you paid it — a fee paid in one country cannot be used to schedule an appointment in another — and once the 365 days lapse with no appointment booked, the fee is forfeited and you start over.
The MRV fee versus everything else
Applicants often see wildly different "total costs" quoted online because unrelated charges get lumped together. Keep them separate:
- $185 MRV fee — mandatory, paid to the US government. Every B1/B2 applicant pays it, always directly through the official channel. This is the only fee the government requires to apply.
- Optional service fees — private, never required. Services like Charta Visa's DS-160 preparation and review ($149) are optional professional help with the form and interview preparation. They are entirely separate from the MRV fee, and the government neither requires nor endorses any such service — you can always apply completely on your own.
- Reciprocity issuance fees — a few nationalities only. Some countries' citizens pay an additional issuance fee after approval, based on what that country charges US citizens. Most applicants pay nothing here; check the reciprocity schedule for your nationality.
- Optional expedited-appointment fee (2026 pilot). A temporary US government program (July–December 2026) offers a $750 expedited B1/B2 interview appointment. It is optional and does not replace the $185 MRV fee.
To see your full trip cost — government fees, service costs and travel — in one place, try our free entry cost calculator.
Scams: how to know you're paying the right people
The MRV fee's fixed, well-known amount makes it a favorite of fraudsters. The rules that protect you are simple:
- Only pay through the official channel listed for your country — the appointment website or designated bank named by the US embassy where you will apply. Nowhere else.
- No legitimate service collects the MRV fee on the government's behalf. Any website or "agent" asking you to send them the $185 is not the US government and is not authorized to take that money. Legitimate private services — Charta Visa included — charge only their own clearly labeled service fee and direct you to pay the government yourself.
- Nobody can guarantee approval. The decision belongs to the consular officer alone. Preparation improves the quality of your application; it cannot buy an outcome, and anyone promising otherwise is lying to you.
Once your fee is paid and your interview is booked, the next step is preparing for the conversation itself — see our guide to the most common US visa interview questions.
Charta Visa is a private visa-preparation service. We are not a government website, we are not affiliated with any government, and we never collect the MRV fee — it is paid directly to the US government.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the MRV fee?
$185 for a B1/B2 visitor visa, paid directly to the US government through the official payment channel for your country. Petition-based work visas carry a higher fee, but for visitors the figure is $185 per applicant, including children.
Is the MRV fee refundable if I'm refused?
No. The fee pays for processing, not for a visa, so it is charged whether your application is approved or refused. If you are denied and want to reapply, you must pay the full fee again.
How long is my fee receipt valid?
365 days from the date of payment — to schedule an appointment. Per State Department guidance, the appointment must be booked (or an interview-waiver application submitted) within that window; the interview itself can take place after it, even months later.
Can I pay the MRV fee in another country?
No. The fee is valid only in the country where it was paid — a payment made in one country cannot be used to schedule an appointment in a different country. Pay in the country where you will actually attend your interview.
Does Charta Visa collect the MRV fee?
No — and neither does any legitimate private service. The $185 is always paid directly to the US government through your country's official channel. Charta Visa charges only its own separate, optional $149 preparation service fee and shows the government fee for transparency.