The administration led by President Donald Trump on Monday announced the implementation of a new charge of $250, known as the visa integrity fee, for all foreign visitors to the United States (US) starting in fiscal year 2025.
The fee was introduced under the latest law, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which applies to all non-immigrant visa applicants including tourists, international students and individuals on business without any exemptions.
This visa integrity fee will also be added to existing visa fees, bringing the total to hundreds of dollars for some visa categories such as H-1B and B visitors.
This fee is only charged to applicants who successfully obtain a visa, and does not apply to rejected applications.
Interestingly, visa holders can claim the visa fee back after the end of their stay in the US but only if they fully comply with the visa conditions, including not overstaying and not working illegally.
However, the refund process is still unclear and is expected to take years to be coordinated.
The US Department of Homeland Security said that its implementation will require cooperation between government agencies, including determining the collection method.
Although only 1% to 2% of visitors typically overstay their visas, the government said the move is important to improve the integrity of the immigration system.
However, not everyone welcomed the announcement.
US immigration lawyers themselves have spoken out, advising applicants to just accept it and ‘legalize’ the fee, as the government’s claim process is usually complicated, time-consuming, and not always successful.
At the same time, industry players have also expressed concerns that the additional charges could become a major barrier to foreign tourists entering the United States.
