The U.S. will soon begin charging a $250 ‘visa integrity fee’ on top of existing fees on all types of visas issued for entering the U.S., whether for business, work, study or tourism.
The fee, authorized under the new ‘big, beautiful bill,’ is likely to further discourage already dampened tourism visits to the U.S. Revenue from the fee will help fund new border control measures. Visitors from the 40 or so countries in the visa waiver program are exempt.
In theory, the fee is refundable when the visa expires and if the visa holder hasn’t violated any of its rules, but no mechanism has been set up so far to handle refunds, and many visas are good for several years, so funds may be on hold for a long time.
For a family of four, putting $1000 on long-term deposit with the U.S. government is likely to make other vacation destinations seem more likely.
