US Travel To Get Expensive From 2026 As President Trump Introduces $250 Visa Integrity Fee

To overhaul immigration, President Donald Trump recently signed a sweeping bill that introduces a new $250 Visa Integrity Fee. This comes under the recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was enacted on July 4. The fee has been designed as a form of security deposit and can, however, be refunded if the visa holders meet certain compliance criteria. Here’s all you need to know about this development from the USA.

USA Introduces Visa Integrity Fee

If you have plans to travel to the USA in 2026, you will have to shell out an extra $250. Yes, this is a Visa Integrity Fee, which is applicable on nearly all non-immigrant visa categories. This includes tourist and business visas (B-1/B-2), work visas (H-1B), student visas (F and M), and exchange visas (J). Only the diplomatic categories of A and G are exempt from this fee. As revealed in a report by the Indian Express, the Department of Homeland Security will collect the surcharge at the time of visa issuance. Not to mention, this would be on top of the existing application fees.

Several Other Surcharges To Note

This amount will further be revised annually on the basis of the consumer price index. As such, there are other travel-related surcharges that have been introduced. These are as follows:

• $24 I-94 fee; this is for all non-immigrant visa holders
• $13 ESTA fee; this is for visa waiver program travellers
• $30 for EVUS fee; this is for the Chinese nationals holding a 10-year B-1/B-2 visa

These fees are non-waivable and will be charged no matter what is the applicant’s financial status or the country of origin. Now coming to the effect on Indians, right now, the US tourist or business visa, which is B-1 or B-2 is about $185. With the new surcharges, this is bound to climb up to $472! This means you will have to pay double the previous amount if you wish to travel to the USA.

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How To Get The Fee Refunded?

Although this is a refundable fee, it won’t be easy. There are certain strict conditions that must be met to get the refund. Visa holders can only apply for a refund if they leave within five days of their visa expiration. They must not request any extension or change in immigration status. Not to mention, they can qualify if they are successfully adjusted to permanent residency before the I-94 record expires.

Even if an applicant is eligible, they should be able to offer substantial documentation, like proof of timely departure or approval status and adjustment to be able to get this refund. Otherwise, the $250 will be forfeited to the general fund of the US Treasury.

It seems that travelling to the US just got a lot more expensive. So, if you also have plans to travel next year, you might want to factor in these costs.

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