Visitors to the United States will soon have to pay a new “visa integrity fee,” according to a provision in the Trump administration’s recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Is Visa Integrity Fee Mandatory?
The fee applies to all travelers who need nonimmigrant visas to enter the country. It is mandatory and cannot be waived.
However, travelers may be eligible for a reimbursement of the fee if they meet certain conditions, according to the provision.
So far, the government has released few details about how the new requirement will work, leading to concerns from the travel industry.
How Much You Have To Pay As Visa Integrity Fee?
For fiscal year 2025, which runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, the visa integrity fee will be at least 250 dollars. The Secretary of Homeland Security also has the authority to set the fee at a higher amount.
After the first year, the fee will be adjusted annually to account for inflation.
The new visa integrity fee applies to all travelers who need nonimmigrant visas to enter the United States. This includes tourists, business travelers, and international students.
The fee is paid when the visa is issued. Travelers whose visa applications are denied will not have to pay.
Is Visa Integrity Fee in Place of Other Visa Fees?
No. The new fee is in addition to existing visa application charges.
“For example, an H-1B worker already paying a 205 dollar application fee may now expect to pay a total of 455 dollars once this fee is in place,” said Steven A. Brown, a partner at the Houston-based immigration law firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC, in a post on his firm’s website.
Travelers will also need to pay the updated Form I-94 fee. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act increased the Form I-94 fee from 6 dollars to 24 dollars. The I-94 form is required for most travelers to record their arrival and departure.
Will Travelers Get a Visa Integrity Fee Refund?
Visa holders can get their visa integrity fee refunded, but only if they comply fully with the terms of their visa.
The provision states that travelers must not accept unauthorized employment and must not overstay their visa by more than five days.
Reimbursements will be issued after the visa expires.
Why Is US Charging Visa Integrity Fee?
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the new measure is part of a broader effort to improve immigration enforcement.
Government data shows that most visa holders follow the rules. Between 2016 and 2022, the U.S. Congressional Research Service found that 1 to 2 percent of nonimmigrant visitors overstayed their visas.
However, the same data shows that an estimated 42 percent of the approximately 11 million unauthorized immigrants currently in the United States initially entered legally but overstayed their visa period.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
