US to Impose $250 Visa Integrity Fee on Tourists, Students, H-1B Workers. How Does It Impact Indians?
UNITED STATES, JUL 9 – The $250 fee applies to most non-immigrant visas and will adjust annually with inflation to encourage compliance with US immigration laws, starting in 2026.
- On July 4, 2025, US President Donald Trump enacted new legislation that imposes a $250 Visa Integrity Fee on most categories of non-immigrant visas.
- The Act was part of a broader effort to reduce visa overstays and ensure compliance by imposing this mandatory surcharge, exempting only diplomatic visas A and G.
- The fee applies to B-1/B-2, F, M, H-1B, J categories, and other temporary visas, collected by DHS at issuance, in addition to existing fees and accompanied by new $24 I-94, $13 ESTA, and $30 EVUS surcharges.
- The total cost for a US B-1/B-2 visa for Indian travelers will rise from $185 to about $472, nearly 2.5 times current fees, with the Visa Integrity Fee adjusted annually for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index.
- Visa applicants who fully comply with terms, such as timely departure or legal status change, may request a refund, but noncompliance results in forfeiture of the fee, signaling tighter immigration enforcement with possible impacts on prospective travelers.
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15 Articles
What’s the $250 Visa Integrity Fee that the US has introduced? How will it affect Indian tourists, students
The US will levy a mandatory $250 (Rs 21,401) Visa Integrity Fee, a security deposit of sorts, for most non-immigrant visa applicants starting next year. The fee, part of US President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was signed into law on July 4
The US has made another change in its immigration policy by imposing a visa integrity fee of $250 under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act
US hikes student, tourist, H-1B visa charges with $250 security deposit
Non-immigrant visa applicants, including students, professionals, and tourists, will have to pay a $250 "Integrity Fee", along with other travel-related fees, starting in 2026, to enter the US. The fee might be reimbursed under certain conditions, but will change annually as it is based on inflation rates.
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