The U.S. government has made changes to visa fees and reviews of foreign-owned businesses that will make it difficult for foreigners to keep and get business visas.

The fees for E-2 visas have been raised and business owners now will need to show proof to the US government abut the viability and ongoing concerns of their business.

From Mysanantonio.com:

Last Friday, the U.S. government dramatically raised the fee for new and renewing E-2 visas per person. For Mexican business investors, the effect is especially painful because earlier in the year, the U.S. government reduced the validity of E-2 visas to one year from three to five years.

The validity change was made to conform to the same time period Mexico grants visas to U.S. business owners operating companies in Mexico.

The fee for new and renewing E-2 visas rose last week to $390 from $131per person, according to a U.S. State Department announcement. The fee boost is meant to reflect the U.S. government’s real costs for the service, the announcement said.

But Texas immigration lawyers say that when the fee is processed through a U.S. consulate office in Mexico by the Mexican bank Banamex, the processing fee and dollar-peso exchange rate boosts the final cost to about $500.

This fee increase will cut short hopes of many business owners, especially from Mexico, who have moved to the United States for more profits and a better quality of life.