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How to Pay the U.S. Visa Fee in Argentina

The DS-160 itself has no submission fee. Applicants in Argentina pay the separate nonimmigrant visa application (MRV) fee through the official appointment service before an interview can be scheduled.

Payment methods in Argentina

The official appointment service currently offers two ways to pay:

  • Cash: generate the cash payment instruction sheet from your profile and pay at the indicated location. The slip is valid for one transaction only.
  • Credit card: paid online through your applicant profile.

Official reference: the Argentina visa fee page lists cash and credit card, states cash payments can take up to 3 business days to register, and confirms fees are valid for 365 days, non-refundable, and non-transferable. Check the live page before paying.

Step-by-step payment process

  1. Submit the DS-160 and save the confirmation page.
  2. Create an account on the official Argentina visa service.
  3. Add each applicant and continue until the payment page shows the amount for your visa class.
  4. Pay by card online, or print the cash instruction sheet and pay once at the indicated location.
  5. Wait for the payment to register — up to 3 business days for cash; card payments are generally faster.
  6. Schedule the consular appointment from the same account once the payment shows as available.

Argentina-specific payment rules

  • The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, whether or not a visa is issued, and is good for one application.
  • It is valid for scheduling for 365 days from the date of purchase — after that it expires.
  • The cash slip works for one transaction only.
  • Pay only through the flow generated inside your AIS profile — never through a link sent by email, WhatsApp, or an agent.
  • Each applicant normally needs their own fee, including children.
  • F, M, and J students and exchange visitors also owe a separate SEVIS fee paid on fmjfee.com — the MRV payment does not cover it.

Where to pay cash

Cash is paid through Western Union, and the official service publishes the list of locations.

Open the official list of payment locations

Open it on the day you are going — the file is dated and the locations change. Bring the printed slip your profile generates; the receipt is valid for a single transaction, so each applicant needs their own.

Where the interview is held

Interviews take place at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires.

Av. Colombia 4300, (C1425GMN) Buenos Aires, Argentina, Telephone: (54-11) 5777-4533

The fee is tied to the country where you apply, so confirm the post before paying.

A national of Venezuela, Cuba, Nigeria, Togo or Malawi? The bond of up to $15,000 applies regardless of where you apply — what that means.

Questions commonly searched in Argentina

How much is the U.S. visa fee locally?

The fee is set in U.S. dollars — $185 for B visitor and F/M/J student visas, higher for petition-based work visas — and collected at the rate shown in your profile at checkout. Confirm the current amount on the Department of State fee schedule.

I paid cash but can't schedule yet. Is something wrong?

Cash payments can take up to 3 business days to register. Wait for your profile to show the payment before trying again, and use the support channels in your profile if it still doesn't appear.

Does paying the fee guarantee an interview date?

No. Payment unlocks scheduling; appointment availability at the Buenos Aires post varies with demand and season.

Can I use a fee paid in Argentina for an interview in another country?

No. A fee paid through this system is tied to applying in Argentina. If you switch countries, expect to create a profile in that country's system and pay again.

Paying from a nearby country

The bank, currency and appointment service differ by country — if you are applying somewhere else in Latin America, use that country's guide:

Paid already: now the appointment

Paying is not booking. Argentina books on AIS in Buenos Aires, and the embassy published a 413-day wait for non-residents when we read it — one reason the rule about applying where you live has teeth. Moving to an earlier slot is free of charge. See booking a U.S. visa appointment in Argentina.

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