What Is New Visa Integrity Fees & How UAE Travellers Will Be Affected By It?

Travelling to the United States just got a little pricier for many UAE residents. A new visa integrity fee came into effect on Wednesday, 1st October, and if you’re planning your next holiday or business trip to the US, it’s worth paying attention to. Let’s face it, visas are already a hassle. Now, this added cost might make some of us rethink that New York shopping spree or California road trip.

UAE Travellers Hit With New US Visa Integrity Fee: What You Need To Know

How much is a visit to the US worth to you? On October 1, depending where you’re traveling from, a $250 ‘Visa Integrity Fee’ or a bond up to $15,000 may be in your future https://t.co/VafxADlcXa pic.twitter.com/PtIuhNmYcY

— Martin Johnson, Esq., RMA, MBA, EA (@361Planning) September 20, 2025

Here’s the breakdown. The new fee is AED900 ($250) for anyone requiring a non-immigrant visa, such as tourists, students, or business travellers. Add that to the existing AED680 ($185) visa fee, and suddenly a standard US trip is significantly more expensive.

UAE residents aren’t alone. Over 11 million nonimmigrant visas are issued globally each year. But if you hold a passport from the UK, Europe, Qatar, Australia, South Korea, or Japan, you can breathe easy; the US visa waiver programme still applies. These travellers can enter for up to 90 days without a visa and, crucially, are exempt from the new fee.

Truth be told, the people most affected in Dubai are those from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, communities that make up a large part of the city’s population. For them, the fee isn’t optional.

Why The Fee Exists

The fee is part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, announced earlier this year by the US president. The goal? To deter visa overstays and strengthen US border security.

So, it’s not just a random tax. It’s intended to encourage travellers to respect the rules, leave on time, don’t work illegally, and generally play by the book.

Can You Get A Refund?

Here’s the slightly tricky part. If you follow all the rules, you may be eligible for a reimbursement, but it’s not guaranteed. To qualify, non-immigrant visa holders must show they:

• Did not accept unauthorised employment
• Did not try to extend their stay beyond the visa’s validity
• Left the US within five days of the visa’s expiration

Adjustments might also apply to travellers who change to lawful permanent resident status, or if the non-immigrant status is extended.

But, and it’s a big “but,” the reimbursement process is still being finalised. No official refund procedure has been rolled out yet, so travellers are essentially paying upfront with the hope of a potential refund later.

Also Read: What Is The New Step In The Schengen Visa Application Process For UAE Travellers?

What This Means for UAE Travellers

Come on, we all know the US has always been expensive to visit. But this is a clear nudge to plan ahead and budget carefully. Prices could also be adjusted for inflation beyond 2026, or changed at the discretion of the US Secretary of Homeland Security.

In practice, this means if you’re travelling in the next few years, expect your US holiday to cost a bit more than you’d imagined. Booking flights and accommodations early is one thing; now, the visa fee is another line item to factor in.

At the end of the day, the rules aren’t meant to punish; they’re meant to ensure travellers play fair while boosting border security. But for many UAE residents, the new AED900 fee is an unwelcome surprise.

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