Travellers from non-immigrant visa categories entering the US will have to pay for the new US$250 Visa Integrity Fee, set to take effect by October 1, 2025. This fee, which is established under the Trump Administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4, applies to tourists, business travellers, students, and workers.
While it is intended as a refundable compliance bond, details on the refund process is unclear at press time.
According to news reports, the Visa Integrity Fee will apply to passport-holders from non-waiver countries, such as China and India, as well as select countries in Asia and the Middle East.
Visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries – Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan here in Asia-Pacific – will not be affected.
The new charge will join other visa application fees, including the Machine Readable Visa fee, reciprocity fees, and anti-fraud charges.