(a) Fees based on reciprocity. The fees for the issuance of visas, including official visas, to nonimmigrant nationals or stateless residents of each foreign country shall be collected in the amounts prescribed by the Secretary of State unless, on the basis of reciprocity, no fee is chargeable. If practicable, fees will correspond to the total amount of all visa, entry, residence, or other similar fees, taxes or charges assessed or levied against nationals of the United States by the foreign countries of which such nonimmigrants are nationals or stateless residents.

(b) Fees when more than one alien included in visa. A single nonimmigrant visa may be issued to include all eligible family members if the spouse and unmarried minor children of a principal alien are included in one passport. Each alien must execute a separate application. The name of each family member shall be inserted in the space provided in the visa stamp. The visa fee to be collected shall equal the total of the fees prescribed by the Secretary of State for each alien included in the visa, unless upon a basis of reciprocity a lesser fee is chargeable.

(c) Certain aliens exempted from fees. (1) Upon a basis of reciprocity, or as provided in section 13(a) of the Headquarters Agreement with the United Nations (61 Stat. 716; 22 U.S.C. 287, Note), no fee shall be collected for the application for or issuance of a nonimmigrant visa to an alien who is within a class of nonimmigrants classifiable under the visa symbols A, G, C-2, C-3, or NATO, or B-1 issued for participation in an official observer mission to the United Nations, or who is issued a diplomatic visa as defined in § 41.26.

(2) The consular officer shall waive the nonimmigrant visa application and issuance fees for an alien who will be engaging in charitable activities for a charitable organization upon the written request of the charitable organization claiming that it will find the fees a financial burden, if the consular officer is satisfied that:

(i) The organization seeking relief from the fees is, if based in the United States, tax-exempt as a charitable organization under the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)); if a foreign organization based outside the United States in a country having laws according recognition to charitable institutions, that it establishes that it is recognized as a charitable institution by that government; and if a foreign organization based in a country without such laws, that it is engaged in activities substantially similar to those underlying section 501(c)(3), and

(ii) The charitable activities in which the alien will engage are specified and will be a part of, or will be related to and in support of, the organization's provision of services, including but not limited to health care, food and housing, job training, and similar direct services and assistance to the poor and needy, and

(iii) The request includes the location of the proposed activities, the number and identifying data of each of the alien(s) who will be applying for visas, and

(iv) The proposed duration of the alien(s)'s temporary stay in the United States is reasonably consistent with the charitable purpose for which the alien(s) seek to enter the United States.

(3) Foreign national employees of the U. S. Government who are travelling to the United States on official business in connection with that employment.

(d) Refund of fees. A fee collected for the issuance of a nonimmigrant visa is refundable only if the principal officer at a post or the officer in charge of a consular section determines that the visa was issued in error or could not be used as a result of action taken by the U.S. Government for which the alien was not responsible and over which the alien had no control.

(e)(1) Visa processing surcharge. In addition to the collection of the fee prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section, a consular officer shall collect or ensure the collection of a surcharge for the processing of applications for machine readable nonimmigrant visas and for machine readable combined border crossing cards in the amount specified by the Secretary of State from such applicants as the Secretary of State shall designate. Such surcharge is refundable only if, as a result of action taken by the U.S. Government for which the alien was not responsible and over which the alien had no control, the alien's application is not processed.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (e)(1) of this section, a consular officer shall collect or insure the collection of a processing fee for a machine-readable combined border crossing card and nonimmigrant visa in an amount determined by the Secretary and set forth in 22 CFR 22.1 to be sufficient only to cover the cost for manufacturing the combined card and visa if:

(i) The alien is a Mexican citizen under the age of 15;

(ii) The alien is applying in Mexico; and

(iii) The alien has at least one parent or guardian who has a visa or is applying for a machine-readable combined border crossing card and visa.

[52 FR 42597, Nov. 5, 1987, as amended at 59 FR 25325, May 16, 1994; 63 FR 24108, May 1, 1998; 63 FR 52970, Oct. 2, 1998; 65 FR 52307, Aug. 29, 2000; 66 FR 17511, Apr. 2, 2001; 66 FR 38543, July 25, 2001; 67 FR 38893, June 6, 2002; 67 FR 66046, Oct. 30, 2002]