What travelers should know about new $250 'integrity fee' for US tourist visas
Travelers planning to visit the United States and apply for a tourist visa may experience some sticker shock after a new "visa integrity fee" goes into effect.
What to know about new US visa Integrity Fee
Although it has yet to be implemented, President Donald Trump's megabill -- which encompasses tax cuts, spending packages and immigration policy and was signed into law earlier this month -- includes a provision that gives the Department of Homeland Security authority to charge fees on foreign visitors.
The new $250 "visa integrity fee," as defined in the legislation, applies to travelers who are applying for non-immigrant visas to enter the U.S. and cannot be waived.
The $250 fee applies for fiscal year 2025, which began Oct. 1, 2024, and ends Sept. 30, 2025. It may subsequently be adjusted for inflation.
Citizens visiting from the more than 40 countries included in the Visa Waiver Program may be exempt from the new fee.
Travelers who don't overstay their time or participate in unauthorized work may be eligible for reimbursement once the visa expires.
US Travel officials, experts respond to new visa integrity fee
A spokesperson for the U.S. Travel Association told CNBC Travel there have been "significant challenges and unanswered questions regarding implementation" on the provision and price hike for the Form I-94 that records visitor entry and departure status.
"There is no timeline for implementation of the fee or direction as to how the fee will be collected and refunded," the U.S. Travel Association stated.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman commented on the new legislation in a statement from July 3, expressing the possible harm this could do with upcoming tentpole global sporting events.
"The smart investments in the travel process make foolish new fees on foreign visitors and reductions to Brand USA, America's promotion arm, that much harder to swallow," he said. "Making America the world's most visited destination -- and capitalizing on the upcoming World Cup and Summer Olympics -- requires smarter policy and legislative changes that we are already pursuing."
Erik Hansen, U.S. Travel's senior vice president of government relation affairs, said in a statement that "cost and visa wait times" are "among the top deterrents" for people considering travel to the states.
"The new visa integrity fee increases the upfront costs of visiting the U.S. 144%, while doing nothing to lower interview wait times," he continued. "Even if it is technically reimbursable, the added complexity and cost will discourage visitors."
