The United States will require international visitors to pay a new “visa integrity fee” of at least $250, added to existing visa application costs, according to a provision in the Trump administration’s recently enacted domestic policy bill.
The fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain nonimmigrant visas to enter the United States. This includes many leisure and business travelers, international students and other temporary visitors. In fiscal year 2024, the US issued nearly 11 million nonimmigrant visas, according to State Department figures.
Tourists and business travelers from countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program, including Australia and many European countries, aren’t required to obtain visas for stays of 90 days or less.
Payment will be required at the time visas are issued, and there will be no fee waivers. Travelers who comply with their visa conditions can have their fees reimbursed after the trip is over, according to the provision.
Immigration attorney Steven A. Brown, a partner at Houston-based Reddy Neumann Brown PC, characterized the fee as a “refundable security deposit,” in a recent post about the new policy. The mechanism for obtaining a refund is still unclear, Brown pointed out.
