Are you planning to travel to the U.S. for the first time this 2025? Then you should be aware of how much a tourist visa costs—particularly if you intend to visit or conduct business. There are different visas for a variety of purposes, and their fees can vary depending on why you’re traveling.

But don’t worry. In this post, we’ll tell you the current cost of an adult U.S. visa in 2025. We’ll also go over the requirements to apply, the types of visas available, and even financial options like DolarApp for handling your expenses.

Visa for Traveling to the United States: 2025 Prices

How Are U.S. Visa Fees Determined?

They’re calculated according to the actual costs of providing consular services. A method called “Activity-Based Costing” is used, analyzing the resources necessary to process the applications and ensuring fees reflect current operating costs.

Some fees—which hadn’t changed since 2012–2014—were adjusted in 2023. That’s the case for visitor visas for business or tourism, categorized as B1/B2, as well as other visa types that don’t require a petition, including student and exchange visitor visas.

This adjustment aims to cover the current costs of these services.

How Much Does It Cost to Apply for a U.S. Visa?

So, how much does the visa cost if you’re applying for the first time?

The current price of the visa for travel as a tourist or for business (B1/B2) is 185 USD. This fee covers the application charge and must be paid before scheduling your appointment at the embassy or consulate.

The measure was introduced by the U.S. Department of State and went into effect on June 17, 2023.

This payment is nonrefundable—regardless of whether you get denied or fail to show up for your interview.

And how much is the visa in pesos?

3,763.60 Mexican pesos at today’s exchange rate: 1 USD = 20.3435 MXN (December 30, 2024).

However, the cost of the American visa in 2025 changes based on the type of visa you request, so let’s take a look at them.

U.S. Visa Types and Their Fees

If you’re not pursuing a Green Card for permanent residence but want a temporary visa instead, you may choose among different categories—and each has its own cost.

Here’s a table of the types of U.S. visas and their prices:

The cost of an adult’s American visa for 2025 may sometimes carry an extra fee on top of the application price.

For example, F, M, and J visas—aimed at students or exchange visitors—require a SEVIS fee ranging between 35 USD and 350 USD. 

Additionally, a reciprocity fee can apply for certain visas depending on their type and validity period.

When Do I Not Need to Pay the Immigrant Visa Processing Fee?

There are special cases where there’s no need to pay the non-immigrant visa fee:

• Replacing visas due to issuance errors beyond the applicant’s control.

• Diplomats, applicants for A, G, C-2, C-3, or NATO visas.

• Official education or cultural exchange participants applying for J visas sponsored by the U.S. government.

• Applicants covered under recognized international agreements, such as UN observers and immediate family.

• Individuals traveling for charity work as determined by the visa service.

• U.S. government employees traveling on official duty.

Also, certain individuals needing to travel because of death or injury of a family member in the line of duty.

Requirements to Obtain the B-1 / B-2 Visa for the First Time

Now that you know how much it costs to apply for a visa for the first time, let’s look at the basic requirements for applying.

Firstly—and this is one of our top travel tips—ensure your documentation is in order before starting the process.

This includes:

• Valid passport with at least six months left beyond your planned U.S. departure date.

• Recent photo in both digital and physical formats, per official specifications.

• Completed form. Fill out Form DS-160 (for nonimmigrants) or DS-261 (for immigrants) on the U.S. Department of State website, and keep the confirmation number.

• Application fee receipt to show you’ve paid the 185 USD.

Once you’ve gathered all these, schedule your appointment at the appropriate embassy or consulate.

Additional Requirements

Some complementary requirements for a U.S. tourist visa:

• Supporting documents. Demonstrate solid ties to your home country (job, property, family, studies), plus proof you have funds to cover travel costs.

Having an itinerary can also strengthen your application at the interview. For example, preliminary bookings from Booking or Expedia, or flight references as found on Skyscanner or Google Flights.

While it’s not mandatory to buy tickets or make reservations before having the visa, they can be very helpful.

Final Words

As a foreign national, you must get a tourist or other nonimmigrant visa to enter U.S. territory. So before planning your trip, be well-informed about both the requirements and fees—ask at your nearest embassy or consulate.

In addition to processing a U.S. tourist visa, it’s key to pick trustworthy tools for a safer experience abroad, like DolarApp, an app that can simplify your money transactions while traveling.

With the app, you can open a digital dollar account and request a DolarCard (virtual or physical), making it easier to cover your expenses abroad.

It’s also a good alternative to avoid fraudulent currency exchange shops, since you can load your USDc balance simply by entering the app and converting from pesos to digital dollars. The process completes in no time, and you always get a fair exchange rate.