MRV Fee Receipt - What is MRV Receipt for USA Visa?

Most applicants including children who are entering the United States of America are required to pay a Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee to initiate their US Visa application process. The MRV is a government-mandated visa processing fee that is required to be paid whether your US visa is approved for travel or not.

To study in the USA, nonimmigrant applicants must submit a visa application. Student visa applications in the USA are also nonimmigrant, and applicants must pay a fee before starting the student visa process. Most applicants, including children entering the United States of America, must pay a Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee to initiate their US Visa application process. The MRV is a government-mandated visa processing fee that must be paid whether your visa is approved for travel. The MRV fee is non-transferable and non-refundable. Check everything about the MRV fee, how to get the MRC receipt number and other details in this article.

Check How Temporary US Student Visa Interview Freeze Affecting Indian Students?

What is MRV Receipt Number?

The receipt generated from the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee payment is termed the MRV Receipt number. Please note that it may take up to two business days for your MRV fee receipt number to be available after the payment date. MRV fee is valid for one year, and with the same fee, a student can apply for a student visa anytime within a year as per his/her admission intake at the US university. To generate the receipt, applicants can go to USVAC website MRV receipt option can be chosen and details can be generated. Check out how to use the USVAC website to generate an MRV receipt. 

How to Generate MRV Fee Receipt?

To generate the MRV fee receipt, applicants can follow these simple steps given below for reference:

• Log on to the USVAC website and look for the option to add the reference number for the MRV fee.
• Once the reference number of the MRV fee is added, applicants can access and download the MRV fee receipt.
• Since the MRV fee is valid for a year, it can be accessed online from the time of payment until the end of the one-year deadline.
• Applicants will have to keep a copy of the MRV fee because, once the one-year lapses, applicants will not be able to access it again or be able to schedule the student visa interview. 

Please ensure that the fee is kept in order so that the applicant can present it whenever requested for any reference at any point in time. 

Also, Read

Is MRV Compulsory?

While most applicants are required to pay a Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee to initiate their US Visa application process. It is compulsory for visa types - F1, M and J1.  Applicants are requested to check the official U.S. immigration website to determine if they are required to pay the MRV fee. Students visiting the country on US Student Visa F and M must pay an MRV fee of USD 185, roughly equivalent to ₹16,066.

How to Register for MRV Fee Payment?

Follow the below-given steps for registering for MRV fee payment while applying for US visa:

• Step 1: Candidates must log in to the USVAC website and create a profile to pay the MRV Fee and activate their account promptly.
• Step 2: Next, click on the 'Schedule My Appointment' and fill out the necessary details.
• Step 3: Then click on Payment Options to select the preferred payment method. Payment can be made through the following media for Indian applicants:
  • NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer)
  • Axis Bank or Citibank branch in India
  • IMPS – Payment by Mobile Phone

Do note that since Indian banks are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, payments on those days would be non-operational.

• Step 4: Pick the payment option that is most convenient for you and make your payment. When you pay the visa fee, you acknowledge that this is a non-refundable visa application processing fee required as a prerequisite to the processing of an application. Kindly note: No refund is possible, regardless of the outcome of the application.

• Step 5: Whichever payment option you choose, you must save your CGI reference number or transaction number. You cannot schedule an appointment without your CGI reference or transaction number.

• Step 6: You can schedule your interview once you pay your visa fee.   

Things to Remember for MRV Receipt Number for US Visa

Looking to book your US Student Visa? Keep these pointers in mind while paying the MRV Fee.

• Candidates would be required to make a successful payment before they are permitted to schedule their interview appointment.
• Once the initial interview is scheduled, it is important not to miss the date. Because candidates may have to pay a second MRV fee to schedule a second interview. Candidates are reminded to schedule a visa appointment on available days so they are not required to pay a second fee. MRV fee is non-refundable.
• Candidates are required to save their receipts with the visa fee receipt number. It cannot be replaced if it is lost. You cannot schedule an appointment without your visa fee receipt number.

Sample MRV Receipt Number (Online)

This is what an MRV receipt fee would look like if you are paying the MRV fee online. This is a standard sample and may resemble the same once the payment is made. Check out the MRV fee receipt sample below: 

Those wishing to apply online can just ensure they pay their MRV Fee on the official website. The students paying the MRV fee online will also get a CGI reference number. All these details about MRV receipt, number and fee are essential as they will be required for US student visa interviews. Without these details, applications may not get processed; thus, applicants must ensure that all these formalities are completed beforehand and details are handy. 

MRV Receipt Number Validity

Unlike others, the MRV receipt number also has an expiry date. The MRV receipt number or payment is valid for one year only. Thus, after paying the MRV fee, applicants can attend their US student visa interviews within one year. Also, applicants must note that they must pay on time since this receipt number is required during the visa interviews. After paying the MRV fee, they must wait two working days to generate their MRV receipt number.

So if the applicant submits the MRV fees submitted before October 1, 2025 will be valid up till September 30, 2026. After this, applicants will need to resubmit the MRV fee if their visa is rejected. There are two US student visa rejection reasons; check them out below:

• 221(g) Rejection
• 214(b) Rejection

If the applicant gets rejected in the interview, and if he/she wishes to re-appear, they will have to repay the MRV fee and then appear for the interview. The MRV fee receipt is valid for one visa interview only. 

Looking for US university admission queries? Sign up at https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/apply for admission and to address any application-related queries.