All U.S. nonimmigrant visa applicants must pay the MRV fee receipts, also known as visa fees, to be able to schedule a visa interview. Applicants have the option to pay the fees by cash at Axis/Citi Bank or National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT). Previously, the cash payment at Axis/Citi Bank was the fastest way to have the payment activated and schedule the visa interview within 3 to 24 hours. But recently we have found that in some cases, the profile is not activated for scheduling a visa interview(s) even after 24 hours.

We at Murthy Immigration Services were able to confirm with the support desk that it now may take up to two business days for the visa fee to be activated. This timeframe is independent of the mode of payment. Between the two, we have noticed that cash payment at Axis/Citi bank are comparatively faster than NEFT payments.

Applicants should be aware of this delay in visa fee activation while planning their application for a U.S. visa.