A proviso successful the One Big Beautiful Bill Act states each visitors who request nonimmigrant visas to participate the U.S.—tourists, concern travelers and planetary students, to sanction a few—must wage a “visa integrity fee,” presently priced astatine $250. Travelers who comply with their visa conditions volition beryllium eligible for reimbursement. The proviso is estimated to bring successful $28.9 cardinal implicit the adjacent decade.
Visitors to the United States volition request to wage a caller interest to participate the country, according to the Trump administration’s precocious enacted bill.
A proviso successful the One Big Beautiful Bill Act states each visitors who request nonimmigrant visas to participate the U.S.—tourists, concern travelers and planetary students, to sanction a few—must wage a “visa integrity fee,” presently priced astatine $250. The interest cannot beryllium waived oregon reduced, but travelers are capable to get their fees reimbursed, the proviso states.
All told, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the caller interest could chopped the national shortage by $28.9 cardinal implicit the adjacent 10 years. During the aforesaid period, the CBO expects the Department of the State to contented astir 120 cardinal nonimmigrant visas.
In 2023 alone, much than 10.4 cardinal nonimmigrants were issued visas, according to DOS data. CBO expects a “small number” of radical volition question reimbursement, arsenic galore nonimmigrant visas are valid for respective years.
CBO besides expects the Department of State would request respective years to instrumentality a process for providing reimbursements. Still, the interest could make billions, the bureau estimates.
The interest is acceptable astatine $250 during the U.S. fiscal twelvemonth 2025, which ends Sept. 30, and indispensable beryllium paid erstwhile the visa is issued, according to the provision. The caput of Homeland Security tin acceptable the existent interest higher, the proviso states. During each consequent fiscal year, the interest volition beryllium adjusted for inflation.
Those eligible for reimbursement are visa holders who comply with conditions of the visa, which see not accepting unauthorized employment oregon not overstaying their visa validity day by much than 5 days, according to the provision.
Senior Equity Analyst astatine CFRA Research Ana Garcia told Fortune successful an email she expects the “vast majority” of affected travelers to beryllium eligible for reimbursement, arsenic humanities U.S. Congressional Research Service data indicates that lone 1% to 2% of nonimmigrant visitors overstayed their visas betwixt 2016 and 2022.
“The fee’s plan arsenic a refundable information deposit, contingent upon visa compliance, should mitigate concerns among morganatic travelers.” Garcia wrote.
Reimbursements volition beryllium made aft the question visa expires, the proviso said. Any fees not reimbursed volition beryllium deposited into America’s Checkbook, oregon the General Fund of the Government.
What’s unclear is the effectual day of the “visa integrity fee.”
Steven A. Brown, a spouse astatine the Houston-based migration instrumentality steadfast Reddy Neumann Brown PC, wrote successful a post connected his firm’s website the fee’s “specific commencement dates person not yet been confirmed.”
Brown points retired that the interest is an add-on to others already required by U.S. travelers.
“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,” Brown wrote.
Most travelers are besides required to wage a interest that comes with submitting a Form 1-94 accomplishment and departure record. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act accrued this complaint from $6 to $24.
CFRA’s Garcia expects request to beryllium unmoved by the fee, considering “higher-income” consumers comprise the bulk of planetary leisure and concern travelers to the U.S.
“For affluent travelers, the further $250 represents a manageable increment comparative to wide travel costs,” Garcia wrote. “The interest operation appears strategically designed to heighten compliance alternatively than broadly restrict travel.”
This communicative was primitively featured connected Fortune.com
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