Travelers to the US must pay a new $250 'visa integrity fee' — What to know

Visitors to the United States volition soon request to wage a "visa integrity fee," according to a proviso of President Donald Trump administration's precocious enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act.  

The interest applies to each visitors who request non-immigrant visas to enter, and cannot beryllium waived.

However travelers whitethorn besides beryllium capable to get the fees reimbursed, according to the provision.

Details astir the caller request are scant, which has resulted successful "significant challenges and unanswered questions regarding implementation," a spokesperson from the U.S. Travel Association told CNBC Travel.

However, present is what is known frankincense far.

How overmuch is the fee?

The interest volition beryllium astatine slightest $250 during the U.S. fiscal twelvemonth 2025, which runs from Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025. However, the Secretary of Homeland Security is escaped to acceptable the interest higher, according to the provision.

Thereafter, the visa integrity interest volition beryllium adjusted for inflation.

Who indispensable wage the caller fee?

The "visa integrity fee" applies to each visitors who request non-immigrant visas, which includes tourists, concern travelers and planetary students.

When is the interest paid?

The interest is paid erstwhile the visa is issued, according to the provision. Thus, visitors whose visa requests are denied volition not beryllium charged.

Does the interest regenerate different visa fees?

No, the proviso states that the caller interest is "in summation to" different fees, including regular visa fees.

"For example, an H-1B idiosyncratic already paying a $205 exertion interest whitethorn present expect to wage a full of $455 erstwhile this interest is successful place," Steven A. Brown, a spouse astatine the Houston-based migration instrumentality steadfast Reddy Neumann Brown PC, wrote in a post connected his firm's website.

Additionally, the interest indispensable beryllium paid connected apical of a "Form I-94 fee," which the One Big Beautiful Bill Act accrued from $6 to $24. That interest indispensable beryllium paid by anyone who is required to taxable a Form 1-94 accomplishment and departure record, which applies to astir travelers.

How tin travelers get reimbursed?

To get their wealth back, visa holders indispensable comply with the conditions of the visa, which includes "not accept[ing] unauthorized employment," and not overstay the visa validity day by much than 5 days, according to the provision.

Reimbursements volition beryllium made aft the question visa expires, it says.

The interest has not yet been implemented, according to Brown.

It is not wide erstwhile it volition begin.

"I judge it would request a regulation, oregon astatine slightest a announcement successful the Federal Register, regarding implementation connected collection," said Brown.  

It is besides unclear however travelers volition wage the fee, the U.S. Travel Association told CNBC.

"The measure directs the DHS Secretary to complaint the fee, but DHS does not ain the visa application, issuance oregon renewal process — truthful wherever and erstwhile would DHS cod the fee?" the spokesperson said.  

In effect to CNBC's enquires, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said: "The visa integrity interest requires cross-agency coordination earlier implementation."

More questions situation however and erstwhile the reimbursement process kicks in.

Since galore visas are valid for respective years, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office said it expects "a tiny fig of radical would question reimbursement."

Moreover, "CBO expects that the Department of State would request respective years to instrumentality a process for providing reimbursements. On that basis, CBO estimates that enacting the proviso would summation revenues and alteration the shortage by $28.9 cardinal implicit the 2025‑2034 period."

Brown said helium is advising clients to dainty the interest arsenic non-refundable.

"If you get it back, great. But it is usually hard to get money back from the government," helium said. "I would alternatively them view it arsenic a 'bonus' if they get the refund."

"President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill provides the indispensable policies and resources to reconstruct integrity successful our nation's migration system," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNBC.

Data shows astir visa holders comply with their visa terms. For the fiscal years betwixt 2016 and 2022, betwixt 1%-2% of non-immigrant visitors overstayed their visas successful the United States, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.

However, an estimated 42% of the astir 11 cardinal unauthorized colonisation surviving successful the United States entered the state legally, but overstayed their play of admission, the information shows.

Brown said the visa integrity interest volition apt interaction B visa holders — oregon leisure and concern travelers — and planetary students much than different types of travelers.

"For B visa holders, they whitethorn not privation to adhd an further $250 per idiosyncratic to their travel costs," helium said.

The caller fee, positive the I-94 fee, travel arsenic the United States prepares to big respective large events successful 2026, including the "America 250" celebration, successful grant of the country's 250th anniversary, and parts of the FIFA World Cup.

These hurdles are compounded by problems astatine Brand USA, the destination selling enactment that promotes inbound question into the United States, which saw the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slash its backing from $100 cardinal to $20 million.

The cuts came aft the U.S. Commerce Department fired astir fractional of Brand USA's committee members successful April.

Brand USA did not respond to CNBC's petition for comment.

Ahead of the transition of the caller legislation, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman praised the bill's contributions to U.S. infrastructure, aerial postulation power and borderline security.

But, helium added: "The astute investments successful the question process marque foolish caller fees connected overseas visitors and reductions to Brand USA, America's promotion arm, that overmuch harder to swallow."

—CNBC's Kaela Ling contributed to this report.