Can I get a discount on my visa fee if I am volunteering for a charity in the US?

The situation

I am currently living in Brazil and planning a trip to the United States to help with a humanitarian project. I have been recruited by a non-profit organization based in Chicago, Illinois, to provide nursing care and medical assistance to low-income families in the area. My volunteer assignment is scheduled to start on September 1, 2024, and will last for exactly four months. The charity has already sent me an official letter confirming my role and explaining that they are a registered 501(c)(3) organization. I checked the official government website to see how much I need to pay for my nonimmigrant visa application, and it looks like the fee is quite high, around $185. Since I am not being paid a salary and am only coming to provide direct medical services to people in need, I was wondering if there is any way to have this application fee waived or even just reduced. I already looked through the standard instructions on the embassy website, but I couldn't find anything specifically about people coming for charitable work. Is there a process to apply for a fee reduction based on the type of volunteer work I am doing?

Detailed Analysis

Under federal law, there is a specific provision that allows for the reduction or waiver of nonimmigrant visa fees (a fee paid to the government to process a visa application) for certain humanitarian activities^[1].

The law states that "the Secretary of State shall waive or reduce the fee for application and issuance of a nonimmigrant visa for any alien coming to the United States primarily for, or in activities related to, a charitable purpose involving health or nursing care, the provision of food or housing, job training, or any other similar direct service or assistance to poor or otherwise needy individuals in the United States"^[1]. This means that because your role involves providing nursing care and medical assistance to low-income families, your situation falls directly into the categories of work that may qualify for a discount.

However, this is not an automatic right. The law gives the Secretary of State the power to decide who gets this benefit based on specific criteria they create^[1]. These criteria may include how long you plan to stay in the U.S. and the financial burden the fee would place on the Chicago-based 501(c)(3) organization you are helping.

While your work aligns with the law, it is unsettled whether your specific application will be approved, as the decision depends on the rules the Secretary of State sets regarding the financial status of the charity and the length of your stay. Additionally, please note that while this concerns federal immigration law, local or state regulations may impose different requirements for medical practitioners working in the U.S. which you should verify separately.

Statutory Citations

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