Overview
- The One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s $250 visa integrity fee is now mandatory for all nonimmigrant visas through Sept. 30, 2025, on top of existing application and reciprocity charges.
- Implementation details remain unresolved, with no formal guidance on which agency will collect the fee or how reimbursements will be processed.
- Travel and immigration associations warn the universal, nonwaivable charge acts like a self-imposed tariff that could suppress inbound tourism.
- The law also raises ESTA fees to a minimum of $13, sets EVUS charges at $30 and creates a $5,000 inadmissible alien apprehension fee, all indexed to inflation.
- Refunds are allowed only for strict compliance with visa terms, but procedures for verifying eligibility and issuing those refunds have yet to be defined.