U.S. Visa?

You don't get the fee back, as that is the cost of processing the visa. Processing happens whether they eventually decide to give it to you or not - it covers the cost of deciding whether you can have one. The £18, as stated on the US Embassy's web site, is because they are too cheapskate to include posting your documents back in the fee and they will only send your documents back to a pick-up point where you can collect them from. If you want them delivered to your home, you have to pay £18 for a courier.as they won't use the Royal Mail.

That's US bureaucracy for you - they HAVE to make things complicated. There are even two fees for their own citizens applying for a passport for the first time - the main fee and an "issuance fee", for no identifiable reason.

The application fee covers the cost of processing your visa application and therefore is non-refundable. It it were refundable upon denial, everybody who wanted to go to the US for any reason, including intending immigrants planning to overstay and people like you who are likely inadmissible, would clog the US consulate with risk-free applications, forcing the US State Dept. to hire more consular officers at US taxpayers' expense.

No, you do not get a refund fi you are rejected. The fee is to process your application. It is not to guarantee you a visa. Even if you are rejected, they have to spend time and money processing your application. you have to pay for that.

Then what is the £18 charge for?

Seems a bit harsh to be charging such a ridiculous high price

The charge is an application fee. There's no refund.

ehy bother with a record you re gong to be denied

No you will not get a refund