The United States has announced a mandatory $250 visa integrity fee for non-immigrant travellers, with no room for waivers.
The new fee is contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by the Donald Trump administration.
The bill also permits the secretary of homeland security to set the fee higher.
Travellers may get a reimbursement if they comply with all the conditions of their visas.
These include not accepting unauthorised employment, not seeking to extend their validated stay, and departing the US not later than five days after the last day of such period.
Visitors who are granted the status of a lawful permanent resident are also qualified for a refund. However, there are no details about the procedures for such a claim.
According to the provision, the fee is paid when the visa is issued. This means potential non-immigrants whose visa requests are denied will not be charged.
Tourists, business travellers, and international students who frequent the US are likely to be the hardest hit by the new policy.
INCREASE IN PRICE FOR FORM I-94
The Form I-94 is the official record of a foreign national’s admission to the US.
It is typically issued by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
While most travellers arriving by air or sea receive this record electronically, others—especially those entering by land—are issued paper I-94s.
Land travellers are currently mandated to pay a $6 fee.
But with the new law, a $24 fee will be required for each issuance of Form I-94.
It is not clear which category of travellers will be affected.
ESTA, ASYLUM APPLICATION, IMMIGRATION COURT FILING FEES HIKED
The Big Beautiful Bill Act also introduced other notable immigration-related fees.
In addition to the visa integrity fee and the Form I-94 increase, charge hikes were also introduced for travellers who use the electronic system for travel authorisation (ESTA).
The law mandates that ESTA include “not less than $13 per travel authorization”, allowing for annual inflation-based adjustments
