Foreign visitors to the U.S. will soon be charged a “visa integrity fee” of at least $250, a new cost imposed under the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The fee, which cannot be waived, applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders —including tourists, students, and business travelers — and will be collected when the visa is issued.
The fee is in addition to existing visa application fees and a newly increased Form I-94 fee, which rises from $6 to $24. Travelers may qualify for reimbursement, but only after the visa expires and if they strictly comply with its terms, including not overstaying more than five days.
Starting Oct 1, applicants of U.S. visitor, student and other non immigrant visas will be required to pay a “visa integrity” fee of 250 dollars on top of the 185 dollar Visa Fee.
— Mathias Ssemanda (@MathiasSsemanda) July 18, 2025
The U.S. government will refund this money if you comply with your visa terms.
Implementation details remain unclear. DHS has not yet announced a timeline, and cross-agency coordination is still pending. Critics warn the added costs could deter travel, especially ahead of major 2026 U.S. events like the FIFA World Cup.
