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The United States will begin charging a $250 (Rs. 71,338) “visa integrity fee” for nonimmigrant visitors. This fee is part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced by President Donald Trump, according to a report by CNBC. The fee will take effect on October 1, 2025, coinciding with the start of the new fiscal year. It will apply to most foreign nationals entering the U.S. on nonimmigrant visas, including tourists, students, and business travelers. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will oversee the fee and may increase it in line with inflation over time.
Additional Cost, No Replacement
This new fee will not replace existing visa charges or application costs. It will be added to the current visa fee and the I-94 form fee, which rose from $6 to $24.
For example, H-1B applicants may now pay between $205 and $455, which equals nearly Rs. 130,000. These increased costs are expected to affect many visa categories and travelers.
Refund Eligibility and Compliance Requirements
The visa integrity fee is nonrefundable if your application is denied. However, you can get a refund if you follow visa rules and leave the U.S. on time.
To qualify, travelers must exit within five days of visa expiry and avoid illegal work. Still, no refunds will be processed until the visa officially expires.
DHS noted the need for coordination between departments before launching the refund process. Experts say implementation could take years, as the plan remains unclear. The Congressional Budget Office projects the fee could generate $28.9 billion between 2025 and 2034.
Uncertainty Around Implementation
Legal experts say there is no clear timeline for launching the new visa fee. The U.S. Travel Association questions how the fee will be collected, since DHS doesn’t issue visas.
Steven A. Brown, an attorney at Reddy Neumann Brown PC, said B visa holders and students will feel the biggest impact. Families might hesitate to travel due to the extra $250 per person cost.
Political and Economic Implications
DHS claims the fee will help restore integrity to the U.S. immigration system. From 2016 to 2022, only 1–2% of nonimmigrants overstayed their visas. Still, 42% of undocumented immigrants originally entered the U.S. legally.
This fee arrives just before major global events in the U.S., including the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Tourism leaders are critical, especially after Brand USA’s federal funding was cut from $100 million to $20 million.
