FEES RELATING TO AFFIDAVITS OF SUPPORT.

SEC. 232. [8 U.S.C. 1183a note] FEES RELATING TO AFFIDAVITS OF SUPPORT. (a) Authority To Charge Fee.—The Secretary of State may charge and retain a fee or surcharge for services provided by the Department of State to any sponsor who provides an affidavit of support under section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1183a) to ensure that such affidavit is properly completed before it is forwarded to a consular post for adjudication by a consular officer in connection with the adjudication of an immigrant visa. Such fee or surcharge shall be in addition to and separate from any fee imposed for immigrant visa application processing and issuance, and shall recover only the costs of such services not recovered by such fee. (b) Limitation.—Any fee established under subsection (a) shall be charged only once to a sponsor or joint sponsors who file essentially duplicative affidavits of support in connection with separate immigrant visa applications from the spouse and children of any petitioner required by the Immigration and Nationality Act to petition separately for such persons. (c) Treatment of Fees.—Fees collected under the authority of subsection (a) shall be deposited in the Consular and Border Security Programs account to recover the cost of providing consular services. Such fees shall remain available for obligation until expended.