US Introduces $250 Visa Integrity Fee for Non-Immigrant Applicants

From 2025, the United States will introduce a new mandatory charge known as the Visa Integrity Fee, applicable to all non-immigrant visa applicants. The relevant legislation was signed into law by President Donald Trump.

The fee has been set at $250 and will remain in effect until the end of the 2025 fiscal year on September 30. It may be adjusted in the future to account for inflation.

The fee cannot be waived. However, it will not apply to nationals of countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), which includes over 40 states.

To get their money back, visa holders must comply with the conditions of the visa, which includes «not accept[ing] unauthorized employment,» and not overstay the visa validity date by more than five days, according to the provision.

Reimbursements will be made after the travel visa expires, it says.

According to representatives from the US Travel Association, it remains unclear when exactly the fee will be enforced, how payments will be processed or whether refunds might be available in specific cases.

The Association has voiced concern that the new fee will increase the cost of travelling to the United States by 144% without addressing long interview wait times. Tourism stakeholders fear that added costs and complications could discourage international visitors.

Countries Included in the Visa Waiver Programme

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Kursiv also reports that residents of Uzbekistan submitted 58,691 Schengen visa applications in 2024 — the highest number in the past decade.