Kenyans planning to travel to the United States in 2026 must pay a visa application fee of about KSh 24,050 for common visa types.
The fee applies to people applying for visitor, business, student and exchange visitor visas. However, some special visa categories cost more.
The standard application fee is $185, which is about KSh 24,050 at an exchange rate of KSh 130 per dollar.
Other visa fees include:
H1B work visa: $205, about KSh 26,650.
K1 fiancé visa: $265, about KSh 34,450.
CR1/IR1 spouse visa: $325, about KSh 42,250.
Applicants should remember that the application fee is not refundable, even if the embassy rejects their visa request.
Kenya recorded a 68.23% rejection rate for B1/B2 visitor and business visas in the 2025 financial year. This means many applicants lost their money after their applications were rejected.
The US Embassy in Nairobi handles more than 100,000 visa applications every year. Applicants may wait several weeks or up to three months to get an interview date.
The US government passed a law introducing an extra $250 Visa Integrity Fee in July 2025. This amount is about KSh 32,500.
If collected together with the normal application fee, a visitor visa could cost about KSh 56,550.
However, the fee had not started being collected as of the information provided in the report. The US State Department had also not announced a date for its introduction.
Applicants can pay through the official US visa appointment website. Payment options in Kenya include M-Pesa and selected bank branches, including Equity Bank.
The payment receipt is important because applicants need it when booking an interview.
All fees are set in US dollars. The amounts in Kenya shillings may change depending on the exchange rate.
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