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Beginning in the 2025 fiscal year, individuals seeking non-immigrant visas to enter the United States will be required to pay a mandatory $250 visa integrity fee, as mandated by the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act from the Trump administration.
This fee applies to all non-immigrant visa types, such as tourist, student, professional, and exchange visitor visas, and must be paid upon visa issuance, with no possibility for waivers or reductions.
Nonetheless, applicants who meet visa requirements, such as leaving the US on schedule or lawfully changing their status, may be eligible for partial or complete refunds.
The purpose of this fee is to enhance immigration enforcement and recover administrative expenses; however, its implementation has sparked concerns regarding the increased financial strain on travellers and its potential effects on international educational and cultural interactions.
The “visa integrity fee” mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires all applicants for non-immigrant visas—including those applying for H-1B (work), F-1 (student), B-1/B-2 (tourist/business), J (exchange), among other popular visa categories—to pay an extra $250 for each visa issued.
As detailed by spokespersons from the U.S. Department of State and immigration specialists, this fee is added to existing charges, such as machine-readable visa fees and reciprocity fees, thereby significantly increasing the overall cost of visas. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will manage the annual inflation adjustments for this fee.
This fee is intended to support improved visa screening, adjudication, and enforcement efforts. According to officials from USCIS, reimbursements may be available for visa holders who strictly follow the stipulated conditions: leaving the USA immediately after their authorised duration, legally extending their visa, or obtaining lawful permanent residency.
Critics have pointed out that this fee might deter genuine travel and educational opportunities, especially for students and professionals from lower-income backgrounds.
The newly introduced visa integrity fee is a component of a larger reform in U.S. immigration policy incorporated into the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025. This comprehensive legislation combines budget funding with measures aimed at immigration enforcement, designed to limit visa overstays and misuse, while enhancing resources for border security.
Alongside the visa integrity fee, the law also introduces additional charges, including hikes on I-94 arrival/departure record fees and asylum application fees.
The law exempts explicitly diplomatic visa categories (A and G) and travellers from countries participating in the visa waiver program—including numerous European countries, Canada, and Bermuda—from this new fee.
The implementation process is currently ongoing, with the fee not yet fully operational due to pending regulations from agencies regarding payment collection and reimbursement strategies.
