Why, Jim, that was a short, glib, uninformative post.

Most time, the extra $$$ comes from the rush-expedited aspect of last-minute passport processing, but not always. I think one of my employers paid $200+ to a passport agency in San Fran for a visa (Brazil) where we had a 1-month lead time. Brazil had a tit-for-tat passport spat going with the US (still do, I think) and they didn't make it easy. Somebody had to go to the consulate in person. So it was either pay the agency or fly to SFO and pay airfare, hotel, etc.

I am become the drive-by poster on occasion, I think.