[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 230 (Monday, December 1, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 63478-63485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-30838]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

22 CFR Parts 22, 51, and 53

[Public Notice 2653]


Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and 
Overseas Embassies and Consulates

AGENCY: Bureau of Consular Affairs, State Department.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This proposed rule sets forth the fees for consular services 
that are proposed to take effect on February 1, 1998, and makes 
appropriate implementing and other related changes in affected portions 
of title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Specifically, the rule 
makes changes in the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services (``Schedule 
of Fees'' or ``Schedule'') published in 22 CFR section 22.1 and makes 
technical changes to 22 CFR Part 51 (concerning passport fees) and 22 
CFR Part 53. The changes to the Schedule of Fees include adjustments to 
existing fees and a new processing fee for diversity visa applicants 
(see 22 CFR 42.33(i)), for which the proposed rule was published in the 
Federal Register on June 16, 1997. The primary objective of the 
proposed adjustments to the Schedule of Fees is to ensure that the 
Department recovers the costs of consular services through user fees to 
the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law. As a result of new 
data on the cost of services, the passport fee is being lowered while 
most other fees are being increased. In addition, the proposed Schedule 
of Fees is being restructured and streamlined. Fees for antiquated 
services no longer performed are being removed and fees for other 
services are being consolidated or more appropriately located, making 
the proposed Schedule easier to read and understand. Consular services 
that will be performed for no fee are being added to the Schedule to 
facilitate tracking the costs of these services and to inform the 
public of all significant consular services provided by the Department.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before December 31, 
1997.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments to: Office 
of the Executive Director, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Room 4820A, 
Department of State, Washington, DC 20520.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sally Light, Office of the Executive 
Director, Bureau of Consular Affairs, telephone (202) 647-1148; telefax 
(202) 647-3677.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The majority of the Department of State's consular fees are 
established pursuant to the general user charges statute, 31 U.S.C. 
9701, and/or 22 U.S.C. 4219, which, as implemented through Executive 
Order 10718 of June 27, 1957, authorizes the Secretary of State to 
establish fees to be charged for official services by embassies and 
consulates. Fees established under these authorities include fees for 
immigrant visas, for expedited passport processing, for fingerprints 
and FBI name checks, and for overseas consular services. In addition, a 
number of statutes address specific fees: Passport issuance fees are 
authorized by 22 U.S.C. 214, as are fees for the execution of passport 
applications. Section 636 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and 
Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009-
703-704 (Sept. 30, 1996), authorizes establishment of a diversity visa 
application fee to recover the full costs of the visa lottery conducted 
pursuant to Sections 203 and 222 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(``INA''), 8 U.S.C. 1153, 1202. (The Department published a proposed 
rule establishing that fee on June 16, 1997.) Nonimmigrant visa 
reciprocity fees are authorized pursuant to Section 281 of the INA , 8 
U.S.C. 1351. The establishment of a nonimmigrant visa processing fee 
for machine readable visas (commonly known as the ``MRV fee'') 
notwithstanding Section 281 of the INA is authorized by Section 140(a) 
of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995, 
Pub. L. 103-236, 108 Stat. 399 (April 30, 1994), as amended. Certain 
persons are exempted by law from payment of specific fees. (These 
statutory exemptions are noted in the fee schedule.) Various statutes 
also permit the Department to retain some of the consular fees it 
collects. These are, at present, the MRV fee, the passport expedite 
fee, the fingerprint fee, and the diversity visa lottery fee.
    With the exception of nonimmigrant visa reciprocity fees, which are 
established based on the practices of other countries, all consular 
fees are established on a basis of cost recovery and in a manner 
consistent with general user charges principles, regardless of the 
specific statutory authority under which they are promulgated. The 
Department of State is required to review consular fees periodically to 
determine the appropriateness of each fee in light of

[[Page 63479]]

applicable provisions of OMB Circular A-25, which addresses the 
establishment of user charges. Those guidelines state that services 
that directly benefit individuals, organizations, or groups should be 
paid for by the users rather than general taxpayers. Services performed 
for the primary benefit of the general public or the U.S. Government, 
however, should be supported by tax revenues. The changes set forth in 
the proposed Schedule of Fees reflect those guidelines. For example, 
new user fees have been added for a few consular services which 
directly benefit individuals but now are provided for no fee at 
taxpayer expense.
    Consistent with OMB Circular A-25, from September 1995 to September 
1996, the Department conducted a cost-of-service study to determine the 
direct and indirect costs associated with each consular service the 
Department provides, using fiscal year 1995 data. The study was 
supervised by the Bureau of Consular Affairs and performed with the 
assistance of an outside contractor. The contractor and Department 
staff surveyed and visited domestic and overseas consular sites 
handling approximately half of all consular services worldwide in FY 
1995. In conducting the cost study, the contractor used the activity-
based costing (``ABC'') methodology, which measures the cost and 
performance of activities, resources, and cost objects related to the 
delivery of specific products and services. The ABC methodology was 
used to determine direct labor costs to deliver each identified 
consular service. The costs of materials and supplies, overhead 
support, and general and administrative support were also included, to 
ensure that the full cost of service was captured. This methodology 
resulted in a more accurate determination of the Department's costs in 
providing consular services, and will permit better management of such 
costs and services in the future. Detailed information concerning the 
methodology of the study is available from Bureau of Consular Affairs.
    Based on this effort and subsequent follow-up work, the Department 
is now proposing adjustments to the Schedule of Fees as shown below. 
The Schedule will take effect in FY 1998. Future adjustments to the 
Schedule of Fees will be made as appropriate.
    Because the proposed Schedule of Fees has been restructured and 
streamlined, a direct side-by-side comparison with the current 
schedule, last updated in 1991, is not possible. Instead, each fee on 
the proposed schedule is cross-referenced to the appropriate item 
number on the current fee schedule (22 CFR part 22.1) to facilitate 
comparison, or identified as a new fee. (These cross-references will 
not be included in the final rule.) Major changes in the schedule are 
discussed below.

Passports

    The current fee schedule shows a fee of $10 to execute a passport 
application; a fee of $55 for issuance of a ten-year passport; and a 
fee of $40 for issuance of a five-year (child's) passport. The new 
schedule shows a $15 execution fee. Passport issuance fees are lowered, 
however, from $55 to $45 for first-time issuance to adults, and to $40 
for renewals. The fee for issuance of five-year passports for minors 
will be lowered from $40 to $25 in all cases. Processing and issuance 
of a child's passport costs at least as much as an adult passport 
(because extensive identification checking is required). Rapid changes 
in the physical appearance of children and the potential for child 
custody issues also dictate issuance of a five- rather than ten-year 
validity passport to children under the age of 16. The shorter validity 
of a child's passport was the key factor in keeping the fee below that 
of an adult's passport notwithstanding the similar processing costs.
    The new passport fees will fully recover the costs of passport 
application processing. In addition, consistent with long-standing 
Department practice, a portion of the fee will recover the cost of all 
emergency citizens services performed overseas, including assistance in 
cases of arrest, detention, death, or serious illness or accident 
abroad, and the costs of certain nonemergency citizens services, such 
as passport amendments and U.S. citizens registering their presence at 
overseas posts, that the Department believes are appropriately 
allocated to all passport users, and/or for which separate fees are 
impracticable. (Such reallocations are to all passports issued, whether 
first-time issuances or renewals.)
    While the cost of overseas passport processing is high, the fee 
reduction is possible because the vast majority of passports are issued 
domestically. It generally costs the Department less to provide a 
service domestically than overseas, and there have been significant 
improvements in the efficiency and productivity of the Department's 
higher-volume domestic passport operations.

Passport Expedite Fee

    The proposed Schedule increases the passport expedite fee from $30 
to $35. This fee will recover the costs of guaranteeing a maximum turn-
around time of three business days to qualified users. Expedited 
service will be provided, and the expedite fee will be charged, to all 
customers seeking in-person service at a U.S. Passport Agency, with one 
minor exception. The expedite fee will not be charged when the 
Department determines that the applicant is required to apply at a U.S. 
Passport Agency. This generally will be in complex citizenship cases 
where in-person services are necessary for adjudication of the 
application. The Department continues to encourage applicants to use 
lower-cost passport acceptance agents, drop boxes, and mail-in services 
whenever possible. A passport may be obtained for the basic processing 
and issuance fee by applying in the normal course of business, while 
the more expensive, expedited service is available for those with a 
special need for urgent issuance.

Adjudication of Citizenship for Undocumented Passport Applicants Born 
Overseas

    A new fee is proposed for citizenship adjudication for previously 
undocumented passport applicants born overseas. The cost of these 
complex citizenship adjudications has until now been allocated to the 
passport fee. The Department has concluded that this service should 
instead be broken out of the passport fee and made the subject of a 
separate fee.
    The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) currently charges 
$100 to adjudicate such citizenship cases in connection with an 
application for a certificate of citizenship. The Department has 
observed that previously undocumented applicants whose primary interest 
is in obtaining a citizenship adjudication, rather than a passport, 
often apply for a passport instead to avoid paying the INS citizenship 
adjudication fee. The Department's FY 1995 average cost to adjudicate 
citizenship is at least $80. These cases involve a different and often 
more complex adjudication process than passport applications of 
previously documented citizens; for example, additional interviews and 
evidence may be required and more complex legal issues may be involved. 
The proposed fee of $100 will equalize the INS and State Department 
fees for the same service and ensure full recovery of the Department's 
costs of providing this service. It also will

[[Page 63480]]

ensure that the actual users of the service, rather than all passport 
applicants, bear the cost of these complex citizenship adjudications.

Passport Waiver

    The Department at present has a $100 fee for waiving the 
requirement that a U.S. citizen travel in or out of the United States 
on a U.S. passport. The proposed Schedule reallocates the cost of 
processing passport waivers to the passport fee, thereby making 
passport waivers a no-fee service. This reallocation is consistent with 
the fact that virtually all users of this service are or will be 
passport holders, and with the Department's general practice of 
allocating the cost of emergency consular services to the passport fee. 
In addition, the reallocation eliminates the administrative costs of 
collection and addresses concerns over the fairness of the separate fee 
expressed by many Americans whose passports have been lost or stolen. 
Those who must travel immediately despite the theft or loss of a 
passport, or because of a genuine emergency, will no longer be subject 
to a $100 fee in order to receive a passport waiver.
    The Department is not, at this time, amending 22 CFR section 
53.2(h), which provides for the collection of a fee for the waiver of 
the passport requirement as specified in the Schedule of Fees. Changes 
may be made to section 53.2(h) at a later time, however.

Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States

    The Department at present charges a $10 fee for issuance of a 
Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States which is proof 
of U.S. citizenship (see 22 U.S.C. 2705). The average cost of providing 
this service is in fact considerably higher (close to $180), in part 
because of cases involving parents who lived overseas for long periods 
of time and whose prior residency in the United States must be 
confirmed. The proposed Schedule increases the fee for a Report of 
Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States to $40, and reallocates 
the remaining costs of this service to the passport fee. The resulting 
increase in passport fees is negligible. The Department believes that 
this combined approach (adjusting the fee to recover more of the costs 
of service from the actual users and reallocating the remaining costs 
to the passport fee) appropriately balances the policy of placing costs 
on actual users with the strong public policy interest in encouraging 
all U.S. citizens whose children are born abroad to obtain a Report of 
Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States when the child is born.

Emergency Overseas Assistance for American Citizens

    The primary responsibility of U.S. consular officers overseas is 
the protection and welfare of American citizens. No-fee services 
performed in instances of arrest, missing persons, and destitution are 
listed on the proposed Schedule for the information of the American 
traveler. As noted in the discussion of the passport fee, the costs for 
these services will continue to be reallocated to the passport fee, 
consistent with long-standing Department practice. This ensures that 
any American traveling abroad may obtain emergency consular services 
without regard to ability to pay for the actual services rendered.
    The current Schedule lists services relating to death and estates 
of Americans overseas in several sections. The proposed Schedule 
consolidates all death and estate services in one new section. Services 
related to the death of an American citizen are performed for no fee. 
The costs of these services have been reallocated to the passport fee.
    Two death and estate fee items have been added to the proposed 
Schedule. The first is a $700 fee for services required for the 
transshipment of the remains of a foreign national through the United 
States. This service is performed infrequently but at a high cost, 
which is more appropriately paid by the next-of-kin rather than by the 
American taxpayer.
    A fee for acting as provisional conservator of estates of U.S. 
citizens with a value of over $10,000 also has been added to the 
proposed Schedule. Consular officers will continue where necessary to 
take possession of and inventory all estates of Americans who die 
overseas. But overseeing the appraisal, sale, and final disposition of 
estates over $10,000, disbursing funds, and carrying out other legally 
related estate business is more appropriately handled by an attorney. 
Such estate services are performed for the benefit of the next-of-kin 
and should be paid for by the users rather than by the taxpayer.

Services Relating to Vessels and Seamen

    The provision of consular services relating to vessels and seamen 
has fallen dramatically in recent years. Accordingly, maritime services 
have been consolidated into three fee items on the proposed Schedule of 
Fees to more accurately reflect the nature, volume, and cost of 
performing the services.

Documentary Services for American Citizens

    Documentary services are listed in several sections of the current 
Schedule of Fees. The proposed Schedule consolidates all documentary 
services in one section. Current item 46, noting of a negotiable 
instrument, is performed so infrequently that it will no longer be 
listed as a separate service but will be charged for as a notarial 
service. Current item 75, typing a copy or extract of a document, has 
been dropped from the Schedule on the assumption that documents are now 
photocopied and/or certified rather than retyped.
    The fee for notarial services is currently $10. In the new 
Schedule, it will be increased to $55, reflecting the high cost of 
performing such services overseas. For many years, the notarial fee has 
been held well below the actual cost of performing this service by 
reallocating part of the costs of performing notarials to the passport 
fee. Most notarials performed at embassies and consulates overseas are 
for the benefit of individual Americans and foreign nationals engaged 
in legal or business transactions, however. These are not emergency 
services and there is no particular public interest in ensuring that 
the service is obtained from a U.S. consulate. In many cases, the user 
can obtain the necessary notarial service from a local provider, but 
uses a U.S. consular officer because the fee is lower. Thus the 
artificially low fee for notarial services has the general effect of 
increasing the notarial workload of our overseas posts. The Department 
has concluded that the costs of this service should be recovered in 
full from the individuals for whom they are actually performed rather 
than in part from all passport holders.
    In the case of certifications, however, for which the cost of 
service is approximately the same as for notarials, the Department 
proposes to continue to set the proposed fee below the actual cost of 
service, and to reallocate the remainder of the cost to the passport 
fee. Certifications are almost exclusively of official U.S. government 
documents issued by embassies and consulates overseas (e.g., reports of 
births and deaths occurring overseas). The need for such documents 
generally arises from the fact of an American citizen's travel abroad, 
and there is a significant public interest in certifying such 
documents' authenticity at a relatively minimal cost.
    In addition, the Department has reviewed its existing exemptions 
from documentary service fees and is eliminating those that are not 
required by law or that do not serve any

[[Page 63481]]

significant public interest. Others are being modified or clarified.

Visas

    The structure of the immigrant visa application processing and 
issuance fees remains the same, although the fees are being increased 
to reflect the actual costs of service. In addition, the Department is 
instituting an additional fee, in the nature of a surcharge, for 
diversity visa applicants. The final rule for the diversity visa fee 
was published in the Federal Register on August 8, 1997. This 
additional fee, which will recover the lottery costs from those lottery 
entrants who actually apply for diversity visas, was authorized by 
Section 636 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant 
Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009-703-704 
(Sept. 30, 1996). Administration of the lottery is part of the cost of 
allocating such visas, and it would be impracticable to impose a fee on 
all visa lottery entrants (technically, visa ``petitioners'', given the 
millions of entrants, the problems of collecting a uniform fee from 
individuals all over the world (who will have varying access to 
international currency), and the burden of having to collect and 
account for what would be a very small fee from a large number of 
persons.
    Since 1994, the Department has collected a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) 
application processing fee from NIV applicants at posts issuing machine 
readable visas (MRVs), commonly known as the ``MRV'' fee. The MRV 
technology is now installed worldwide, as are improved information 
management systems for ensuring that all visa applicants are checked 
against the visa lookout system. The NIV/MRV application fee, 
originally set at $20, will increase to $45. This amount is based on 
the volume-weighted average cost of processing a nonimmigrant visa, 
including border crossing cards, crew visas, treaty trader/investor 
visas, fiance visas, and petitions for intracompany transferee and 
temporary worker visas, using the new MRV and enhanced lookout 
technologies. The proposed new fee is significantly higher because the 
original $20 fee, in addition to being based on cost data available in 
1991, did not include the costs of the new technology. The proposed 
Schedule of Fees continues to require that the fee be paid by virtually 
all NIV applicants, with only very limited exceptions (e.g., for 
diplomatic visas).
    The NIV application processing fee is cost-based and is paid 
regardless of whether a visa is issued because it covers the cost of 
processing the visa application. Note that applicants who are issued a 
visa also may be charged an NIV issuance fee based on reciprocity with 
the host country (Item 57 in the proposed schedule). These reciprocal 
NIV issuance fees were not included in the Department's cost-of-service 
study because they are not cost-based but rather are determined in 
light of other countries' practices. The Department seeks to ensure 
that the total amount of U.S. nonimmigrant visa fees, including the NIV 
application processing fee and any issuance fees based on reciprocity, 
reflects the total of a foreign country's fees for comparable visas.
    Under the current Schedule of Fees, visa processing fees for 
crewmen, who generally are manifested on a single crew list document, 
are based on the number of crew members on the document. In fact, each 
crew member's eligibility for a visa is reviewed as if he or she were 
applying for a nonimmigrant visa. This review requires the same amount 
of labor and processing time as a nonimmigrant visa application. To 
ensure full recovery of those costs, the nonimmigrant visa processing 
fee of $45 on the proposed Schedule will apply to each individual crew 
applicant. The separate entry on the Schedule for crewmen is therefore 
being eliminated.
    The proposed Schedule includes new fees for two special visa-
related services for aliens that currently are performed for no fee: 
(1) Legal permanent resident status may expire when an alien remains 
outside the United States for an extended period of time. Application 
for returning resident status is made at embassies and consulates 
overseas. Processing a returning resident application involves the same 
work as processing an immigrant visa. (2) Legal permanent resident 
aliens who have lost their alien registration cards may apply at an 
embassy or consulate for a transportation letter to re-enter the United 
States--a service that also requires a discernible amount of consular 
time. The cost of both of these services currently is paid by the 
American taxpayer. The proposed fees for these special services for 
aliens will more appropriately allocate the costs of performing them to 
the users. The proposed fee for the first service is $50 and the fee 
for the second service is $120.

Deletions

    A number of services are being deleted from the Schedule; for 
example, Administration of Examinations, which is not a consular 
service, but rather a service to other agencies. It is frequently 
performed by administrative rather than consular officers. Similarly, 
Freedom of Information Services, which are performed by another office 
in the Department, has been deleted.

Amendments to 22 CFR Part 51, Subpart D (22 CFR 51.61 Through 
51.67)

    The Department is also making technical amendments to 22 CFR Part 
51, Subpart D, which addresses passport fees. Although passport fees 
are listed in the Schedule of Fees published at 22 CFR 22.1, 22 CFR 
51.61 also sets forth the current passport fees under the heading 
``statutory fees.'' The Department has decided not to include the 
specific amount of the fees in section 22 CFR 51.61, but instead to 
cross-reference to the Schedule of Fees. This will permit future 
adjustments to passport fees to be made more efficiently, since it will 
be necessary to amend only the Schedule of Fees as it appears in 22 CFR 
22.1. The Department is similarly amending 22 CFR 51.67, which at 
present states the specific amount of the fee for expedited passport 
services.
    In addition, 22 CFR 51.62 provides for the possibility of 
``regulatory fees,'' but does not set forth any services for which such 
fees are charged. The Department believes that the provision for 
``statutory'' and ``regulatory'' fees in sections 51.61 and 51.62, 
respectively, reflects the fact that the precise amount of certain 
passport fees formerly was specified by statute while other passport-
related fees could potentially be established by regulation pursuant to 
general statutory authorities. Now, however, the statutes that 
specifically provide for passport fees no longer set the actual amount 
of the fee to be charged. Instead, all fees are authorized by statutes 
that leave the precise amount to be set by regulation in accordance 
with user charges principles. As a result, the Department has concluded 
that sections 51.61 and 51.62 can now be combined into a single 
section, which will be section 51.61, setting forth the passport 
services for which fees will be charged. The remaining sections of 
Subpart D will be renumbered accordingly.
    Finally, amendments are being made in Subpart D to conform that 
Subpart to other changes made in the Schedule of Fees and to modernize 
its provisions.

Amendment to 22 CFR Part 53

    The title of 22 CFR Part 53 is being changed and the authority 
citation is being revised.

Regulatory Findings

    This rule is not considered to be a major rule for purposes of E.O. 
12291

[[Page 63482]]

nor is it expected to have a significant impact on a substantial number 
of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 
5 U.S.C. 605(b). This rule does not impose information collection 
requirements under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35. This rule has been reviewed as required by E.O. 
12988 and determined to be in compliance therewith. This rule is exempt 
from E.O. 12866 but has been reviewed internally by the Department to 
ensure consistency with the objectives thereof and by OMB in light of 
its public policy implications. OMB has determined that the rule would 
in any event not constitute a significant regulatory action under E.O. 
12866.

List of Subjects

22 CFR Part 22

    Consular services, Fees, Schedule of fees for consular services, 
Passports and visas.

22 CFR Part 51

    Passports, fees.

22 CFR Part 53

    Passport requirement and exceptions.

    Accordingly, parts 22, 51, and 53 are proposed to be amended as 
follows:

PART 22--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 22 is revised to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1153 note, 1351, 1351 note; 22 U.S.C. 214, 
4201, 4206, 4215, 4219; 31 U.S.C. 9701; E.O. 10718, 22 FR 4632, 3 
CFR, 1954-1958 Comp., p. 382; E.O. 11295, 31 FR 10603, 3 CFR, 1966-
1970 Comp., p. 570.

    2. Section 22.1 is revised to read as follows:


22.1  Schedule of fees.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Item No.                               Fee                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Passport and Citizenship Services                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Passport Services. [former                                           
 nos. 1, 3, 4]: \1\                                                     
        (a) Execution........  $15.00.                                  
        (b) First-time                                                  
         issuance:.                                                     
        (1) Applicants age 16  $45.00 plus expedited processing fee if  
         or over.               applicable.                             
        (2) Applicants under   $25.00 plus expedited processing fee if  
         age 16.                applicable.                             
        (c) Subsequent                                                  
         issuance (renewal):.                                           
        (1) Applicants age 16  $40.00 plus expedited processing fee if  
         or over.               applicable.                             
        (2) Applicants under   $25.00 plus expedited processing fee if  
         age 16.                applicable.                             
        (d) Expedited service                                           
         (exclusive of                                                  
         express mail                                                   
         charges) not                                                   
         applicable overseas:.                                          
        (1) Requested          $35.00.                                  
         guaranteed 3-day                                               
         service.                                                       
        (2) In-person service  $35.00.                                  
         at a U.S. Passport                                             
         Agency, unless the                                             
         Department has                                                 
         determined that the                                            
         applicant is                                                   
         required to apply at                                           
         a U.S. Passport                                                
         Agency.                                                        
2. Exemptions: The following                                            
 applicants are exempted from                                           
 passport fees: [former no.                                             
 5]:                                                                    
        (a) Officers or        No fee.                                  
         employees of the                                               
         United States                                                  
         proceeding abroad or                                           
         returning to the                                               
         United States in the                                           
         discharge of their                                             
         official duties, or                                            
         their immediate                                                
         family members (22                                             
         U.S.C. 214).                                                   
        (b) American seamen    No fee.                                  
         who require a                                                  
         passport in                                                    
         connection with                                                
         their duties aboard                                            
         an American flag                                               
         vessel (22 U.S.C.                                              
         214).                                                          
        (c) Widows, children,  No fee.                                  
         parents, or siblings                                           
         of deceased members                                            
         of the Armed Forces                                            
         proceeding abroad to                                           
         visit the graves of                                            
         such members (22                                               
         U.S.C. 214).                                                   
        (d) Employees of the   No fee.                                  
         American National                                              
         Red Cross proceeding                                           
         abroad as members of                                           
         the Armed Forces of                                            
         the United States                                              
         (10 U.S.C. 2602(c)).                                           
        (e) Peace Corps and    No fee.                                  
         Volunteer Leaders                                              
         deemed to be                                                   
         employees of the                                               
         United States for                                              
         purposes of                                                    
         exemption from                                                 
         passport fees (22                                              
         U.S.C. 2504(a)).                                               
3. File search and             $15.00.                                  
 verification of U.S.                                                   
 citizenship when applicant                                             
 has not presented evidence                                             
 of citizenship and previous                                            
 records must be searched.                                              
 (This fee will not be                                                  
 charged when the applicants'                                           
 passport was stolen or when                                            
 one of the exemptions in                                               
 item 38 is applicable.)                                                
 [former no. 10(a)].                                                    
4. Determination or            $100.00.                                 
 adjudication of U.S.                                                   
 citizenship for applicants                                             
 born overseas who have not                                             
 presented a U.S. passport,                                             
 Report of Birth Abroad of a                                            
 Citizen of the United                                                  
 States, or Certificate of                                              
 Naturalization or                                                      
 Citizenship from the                                                   
 Immigration and                                                        
 Naturalization Service.                                                
 [new] \2\.                                                             
5. Passport amendments, to     No fee.                                  
 add current or new                                                     
 information, change a name,                                            
 extend a previous passport                                             
 time limitation, correct an                                            
 administrative error,                                                  
 validate a passport for                                                
 travel to restricted                                                   
 countries, or add extra                                                
 pages. [former no. 6].                                                 
6. Passport waiver (22 CFR     No fee.                                  
 53.2(h), Passport                                                      
 requirement and exceptions).                                           
 [former no. 12].                                                       
7. Registration of a U.S.      No fee.                                  
 citizen at a U.S. Embassy or                                           
 Consulate when documentary                                             
 evidence of U.S. citizenship                                           
 has been presented. [former                                            
 no. 7].                                                                
8. Report of Birth Abroad of   $40.00.                                  
 a Citizen of the United                                                
 States (includes new no. 4).                                           
 [former nos. 8, 9(a)].                                                 
9. Issuance of Replacement     $40.00.                                  
 Report of Birth Abroad of a                                            
 Citizen of the United States                                           
 by the Department of State                                             
 in Washington. [former no.                                             
 9].                                                                    
For fees relating to                                                    
 obtaining documents from                                               
 passport files and related                                             
 records, see Documentary                                               
 Services, item 35 and                                                  
 succeeding.                                                            
(Item nos. 10 through 14                                                
 vacant.)                                                               
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Overseas Citizens Services                       
------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Overseas Assistance:                                            
    15. Arrest visits. [new].  No fee.                                  
    16. Assistance regarding   No fee.                                  
     the welfare and                                                    
     whereabouts of a U.S.                                              
     citizen, including child                                           
     custody inquiries. [new].                                          
    17. Loan processing.                                                
     [new]:.                                                            

[[Page 63483]]

                                                                        
        (a) Repatriation       No fee.                                  
         loans..                                                        
        (b) Emergency dietary  No fee.                                  
         assistance loans..                                             
(Item Nos. 18-20 vacant.)                                               
Death and Estate Services:                                              
    21. Identification of      No fee.                                  
     remains and consultation                                           
     with family members of a                                           
     U.S. Citizen. [new].                                               
    22. Assistance to the      No fee.                                  
     next-of-kin in making                                              
     arrangements for                                                   
     shipping or other                                                  
     disposition of remains                                             
     of a U.S. Citizen.                                                 
     [former no. 73].                                                   
    23. Affidavit attesting    No fee.                                  
     to preparation and                                                 
     packing of remains of a                                            
     U.S. Citizen. [former                                              
     no. 59].                                                           
    24. Issuance of consular   No fee.                                  
     mortuary certificate on                                            
     behalf of a U.S.                                                   
     Citizen. [former no. 60].                                          
    25. Assistance in          $700.00.                                 
     transshipment of remains                                           
     of a foreign national to                                           
     or through the United                                              
     States, including                                                  
     documentation covered by                                           
     items 23 and 24. [new].                                            
    26. Preparation of Report  No fee.                                  
     of Death of an American                                            
     Citizen Abroad,                                                    
     including sending copies                                           
     to legal representative                                            
     and closest known                                                  
     relative or relatives.                                             
     [former no. 9(c)].                                                 
    27. Acting as a                                                     
     provisional conservator                                            
     of estates of U.S.                                                 
     citizens (other than                                               
     U.S. Government                                                    
     employees), including                                              
     taking possession of,                                              
     making an inventory,                                               
     placing the official                                               
     seal on the estate,                                                
     overseeing the                                                     
     appraisal, sale and                                                
     final disposition of the                                           
     estate, disbursing                                                 
     funds, forwarding                                                  
     securities, etc.:                                                  
     [former no. 70, 71, 72]:.                                          
        (a) Estates under      No fee.                                  
         $10,000.                                                       
        (b) Estates $10,000    Consular time (item 70) and costs.       
         or more, for                                                   
         rendering services                                             
         additional to taking                                           
         possession,                                                    
         inventorying, and                                              
         placing the official                                           
         seal.                                                          
(Item nos. 28-29 vacant.)                                               
Services Relating to Vessels                                            
 and Seamen:                                                            
    30. Shipping and seamen    Per service, $80.00.                     
     services, including                                                
     recording of bill of                                               
     sale of vessel purchased                                           
     abroad, taking of                                                  
     application for                                                    
     certificate of American                                            
     ownership, and                                                     
     investigation. [former                                             
     no. 34].                                                           
    31. Documentary services   Per service, $650.00 plus costs incurred.
     related to shipping,                                               
     including issuance of                                              
     certificate of American                                            
     ownership. [former no.                                             
     35].                                                               
    32. Services provided for  No fee.                                  
     an American vessel or                                              
     American seamen. 22                                                
     U.S.C. 4206. [former no.                                           
     36].                                                               
(Items nos. 33-34 vacant.)                                              
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Documentary Services                          
------------------------------------------------------------------------
35. Notarials. [former nos.    $55.00.                                  
 45 (a) and (b)].                                                       
36. Certifications:                                                     
        (a) Certifying under   $20.00; each additional copy $10.00.     
         official seal that a                                           
         copy or extract made                                           
         from an official or                                            
         a private document                                             
         is a true copy.                                                
         [former nos. 45(c),                                            
         10(c)].                                                        
        (b) Certifying under   $20.00; each additional copy $10.00.     
         official seal a                                                
         statement or extract                                           
         from official files                                            
         or a statement that                                            
         no record of an                                                
         official file can be                                           
         located. [former no.                                           
         10(d)].                                                        
        (c) Certifying the     $20.00; each additional copy $10.00.     
         fact of issuance of                                            
         a Report of Birth                                              
         Abroad of a Citizen                                            
         of the United States                                           
         and certifying                                                 
         copies of documents                                            
         relating to births,                                            
         marriages, and                                                 
         deaths of citizens                                             
         abroad issued by a                                             
         U.S. Embassy or                                                
         Consulate                                                      
         (obtainable from the                                           
         Department of State,                                           
         Washington, D.C.).                                             
         [former no. 9].                                                
37. Authentications:                                                    
        (a) Certifying to      $32.00.                                  
         official character                                             
         of a foreign notary                                            
         or other official                                              
         (i.e.,                                                         
         authenticating a                                               
         document). [former                                             
         no. 45(d), 9(b)].                                              
        (b) Authenticating a   $32.00.                                  
         federal, state, or                                             
         territorial seal, or                                           
         certifying to the                                              
         official status of                                             
         an officer of the                                              
         United States                                                  
         Department of State                                            
         or of a foreign                                                
         diplomatic or                                                  
         consular officer                                               
         accredited to or                                               
         recognized by the                                              
         United States                                                  
         Government, or any                                             
         document submitted                                             
         to the Department                                              
         for that purpose.                                              
         [former no. 45(f)].                                            
38. Exemptions: Notarial,                                               
 certification, and                                                     
 authentication fees (items                                             
 35, 36, and 37) or passport                                            
 file search fees (item 3)                                              
 will not be charged when the                                           
 service is performed:                                                  
 [former nos. 11, 58]:                                                  
        (a) At the request of  No fee.                                  
         any federal                                                    
         government agency                                              
         (unless substantial                                            
         costs would be                                                 
         incurred).                                                     
        (b) At the request of  No fee.                                  
         any state or local                                             
         government, the                                                
         District of                                                    
         Columbia, or any of                                            
         the territories or                                             
         possessions of the                                             
         United States                                                  
         (unless substantial                                            
         costs would be                                                 
         incurred).                                                     
        (c) With respect to    No fee.                                  
         documents to be                                                
         presented by                                                   
         claimants,                                                     
         beneficiaries, or                                              
         their witnesses in                                             
         connection with                                                
         obtaining federal,                                             
         state, or municipal                                            
         benefits.                                                      
        (d) For American       No fee.                                  
         citizens outside the                                           
         United States                                                  
         preparing ballots                                              
         for any public                                                 
         election in the                                                
         United States or any                                           
         of its territories.                                            
        (e) At the request of  No fee.                                  
         a foreign government                                           
         or an international                                            
         agency of which the                                            
         United States is a                                             
         member if the                                                  
         documents are for                                              
         official                                                       
         noncommercial use.                                             
        (f) At the request of  No fee.                                  
         a foreign government                                           
         official when                                                  
         appropriate or as a                                            
         reciprocal courtesy.                                           
        (g) At the request of  No fee.                                  
         U.S. Government                                                
         personnel, Peace                                               
         Corps volunteers, or                                           
         their dependents                                               
         stationed or                                                   
         traveling officially                                           
         in a foreign country.                                          
        (h) With respect to    No fee.                                  
         documents whose                                                
         production is                                                  
         ordered by a court                                             
         of competent                                                   
         jurisdiction.                                                  
39. Executing commissions to   No fee.                                  
 take testimony in connection                                           
 with foreign documents for                                             
 use in criminal cases when                                             
 the commission is                                                      
 accompanied by an order of                                             
 federal court on behalf of                                             
 an indigent party. [former                                             
 no. 66].                                                               
40. Providing seal and         $455.00.                                 
 certificate for return of                                              
 letters rogatory executed by                                           
 foreign officials. [former                                             
 no. 67].                                                               
41. Taking depositions or      Per hour, $200.00 plus costs incurred.   
 executing commissions to                                               
 take testimony. [former no.                                            
 69].                                                                   
(Items nos. 42-49 vacant.)                                              
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Visa Services                             
------------------------------------------------------------------------
50. Immigrant visa             $260.00.                                 
 application processing fee.                                            
 [former no. 20].                                                       

[[Page 63484]]

                                                                        
51. Immigrant visa             $75.00.                                  
 application surcharge for                                              
 Diversity Visa Lottery.                                                
 [former no. 19].                                                       
52. Immigrant visa issuance    $65.00.                                  
 fee. [former no. 21].                                                  
53. Refugee case preparation   No fee.                                  
 and processing. [new].                                                 
54. Nonimmigrant visa          $45.00.                                  
 application processing fee.                                            
 [former no. 26].                                                       
55. EXEMPTIONS from                                                     
 nonimmigrant visa                                                      
 application processing fee:                                            
 [former no. 26]:                                                       
        (a) Applicants for A,  No fee.                                  
         G, C-2, C-3, and                                               
         NATO visas.                                                    
        (b) Applicants for J   No fee.                                  
         visas participating                                            
         in official U.S.                                               
         Government (USIA or                                            
         USAID) sponsored                                               
         educational and                                                
         cultural exchanges.                                            
        (c) Persons issued     No fee.                                  
         replacement machine                                            
         readable visas when                                            
         the original machine                                           
         readable visa has                                              
         not adhered to the                                             
         passport or other                                              
         travel document                                                
         through no fault of                                            
         the applicant.                                                 
        (d) Persons exempted   No fee.                                  
         by international                                               
         agreement as                                                   
         determined by the                                              
         Department.                                                    
        (e) Persons            No fee.                                  
         travelling to                                                  
         participate in                                                 
         charitable                                                     
         activities as                                                  
         determined by the                                              
         Department.                                                    
56. Visa fingerprinting.       $25.00.                                  
 [former no. 28].                                                       
57. Nonimmigrant visa          RECIPROCAL.                              
 issuance fee, including                                                
 border crossing cards.                                                 
 [former nos. 22, 24].                                                  
58. EXEMPTIONS from                                                     
 nonimmigrant visa issuance                                             
 fee: [former no. 23]:                                                  
        (a) An official        No fee.                                  
         representative of a                                            
         foreign government                                             
         or an international                                            
         or regional                                                    
         organization of                                                
         which the U.S. is a                                            
         member.                                                        
        (b) An applicant       No fee.                                  
         transiting to and                                              
         from the United                                                
         Nations headquarters.                                          
        (c) An applicant       No fee.                                  
         participating in a                                             
         U.S. government                                                
         sponsored program.                                             
59. Special visa processing                                             
 services for aliens: [new]:                                            
        (a) returning          $50.00.                                  
         resident status.                                               
        (b) transportation     $120.00.                                 
         letter.                                                        
        (c) waiver of          $95.00.                                  
         immigrant visa                                                 
         ineligibility                                                  
         (collected for INS;                                            
         subject to change).                                            
60. Filing immigrant visa      $80.00.                                  
 petition (collected for INS;                                           
 subject to change).                                                    
(Items Nos. 61-64 vacant.)                                              
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Administrative Services                        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
65. Nonemergency telephone     Local long distance rate plus $10.00.    
 calls. [former no. 85].                                                
66. Setting up and             $20.00.                                  
 maintaining a trust account                                            
 for 1 year or less to                                                  
 transfer funds to or for the                                           
 benefit of an American in                                              
 need in a foreign country.                                             
 [former no. 92].                                                       
67. Transportation charges     Costs incurred.                          
 incurred in the performance                                            
 of fee and no-fee services                                             
 when appropriate and                                                   
 necessary. [former no. 94].                                            
68. Emergency passport photo   No fee.                                  
 service. [former no. 13].                                              
69. Return check processing    $25.00.                                  
 fee. [former no. 95].                                                  
70. Consular time charges as   Per hour, $180.00 plus costs incurred.   
 required by this schedule or                                           
 for fee services performed                                             
 away from the office or                                                
 after-duty-hours. [former                                              
 no. 93].                                                               
71. Photocopies (provided      Per page, $1.00.                         
 other than pursuant to 22                                              
 CFR Part 171 or order of a                                             
 court of competent                                                     
 jurisdiction). [former nos.                                            
 10(b), 76].                                                            
(Item nos. 72-80 vacant.)                                               
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Note: Former numbers will not appear in the Final rule.             
\2\ ``New'' designations will not appear in the Final rule.             

Sec. 22.8  [Removed]

    3. Section 22.8 is removed.

PART 51--[AMENDED]

    4. The authority citation for part 51 is revised to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 22 U.S.C. 211a, 212, 213, 214, 214a, 216, 217a, 
2671(d); 31 U.S.C. 9701; Sec. 129, Pub. L. 102-138, 105 Stat. 661; 
E.O. 11295, 36 FR 10603, 3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 570.
    5. Section 51.61 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 51.61  Passport fees.

    Fees, including execution fees, shall be collected for the 
following passport services in the amounts prescribed in the Schedule 
of Fees for Consular Services (22 CFR 22.1):
    (a) A fee for each passport issued, which fee shall vary depending 
on whether the passport is issued to a first-time applicant or a 
renewal applicant and on the age of the applicant. The passport 
issuance fee shall be paid by all applicants at the time of 
application, except as provided in Sec. 51.62(a).
    (b) A fee for execution of the passport application, except as 
provided in section 51.62 (b), when the applicant is required to 
execute the application in person before a person authorized to 
administer oaths for passport purposes. This fee shall be collected as 
part of the passport issuance fee at the time of application and is not 
refundable (see 22 CFR 51.65). When execution services are provided by 
an official of a state or local government or of the United States 
Postal Service, the fee may be retained by that entity to cover the 
costs of service, pursuant to an appropriate agreement with the 
Department of State.
    (c) A fee for expedited services, if any, provided pursuant to 22 
CFR 51.66.
    6. Section 51.62 is removed and sections Secs. 51.63 through 51.66 
are redesignated as Secs. 51.62 through 51.65, respectively.
    7. Newly redesignated Sec. 51.63 is amended in paragraph (a) by 
changing ``Sec. 51.63'' to read ``Sec. 51.62'', and in paragraph (f) by 
changing ``Sec. 51.67'' to read ``Sec. 51.66''.
    8. Newly redesignated Sec. 51.66 is amended by revising paragraphs 
(a) and (c) to read as follows:


Sec. 51.66  Expedited passport processing.

    (a) Within the United States, an applicant for a passport service 
(including issuance, amendment, extension, or the addition of visa 
pages) may request expedited processing by a Passport Agency. All 
requests by applicants for in-person services at a Passport Agency 
shall be considered requests for expedited processing, unless the 
Department has determined that the applicant is required to apply at a 
U.S. Passport Agency.
* * * * *
    (c) A fee shall be collected for expedited processing service in 
the

[[Page 63485]]

amount prescribed in the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services (22 CFR 
22.1). This amount will be in addition to any other applicable fee and 
does not include urgent mailing costs, if any.

PART 53--PASSPORT REQUIREMENT AND EXCEPTIONS

    9. The title of Part 53 is revised to read as set forth above.
    10. The authority citation for part 53 is revised to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1185; Proc. 3004, 18 FR 489, 3 CFR, 1949-
1953 Comp., p. 180.

    Dated: November 19, 1997.
Patrick F. Kennedy,
Acting Under Secretary for Management.
[FR Doc. 97-30838 Filed 11-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-06-P