Published on: July 26, 2025

Sources: U.S. Federal Register, recent immigration law updates, and industry reports

If you’re planning to travel to the United States soon, here’s an important update: your U.S. visa is about to become more expensive.
The U.S. government has approved a new $250 “Visa Integrity Fee” for all non‑immigrant visas, on top of existing processing fees.

👉 If you’ve been delaying your visa plans, apply now — because once this fee takes effect, your overall cost will rise sharply.

💡 What is the Visa Integrity Fee?

The Visa Integrity Fee is a mandatory $250 surcharge on every non‑immigrant visa issued by U.S. embassies and consulates.
Introduced under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1), this fee is designed to fund visa compliance and monitoring systems.

✅ Charged only if your visa is approved
✅ Applies to each applicant, including dependents
✅ Added on top of all existing visa fees

🌍 Who Needs to Pay?

The fee applies to travelers from countries outside the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, such as:

• 🇮🇳 India

• 🇨🇳 China

• 🇧🇷 Brazil

• 🇳🇬 Nigeria

• 🇵🇭 Philippines

Exemptions: Travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries (like the UK, Germany, and Japan), most Canadians and Bermudians, and certain diplomatic categories will not be charged.

💰 How Much More Will You Pay?

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For a family of three on a tourist visa, that’s $750 extra compared to earlier.

⚠️ Can You Get a Refund?

Technically, the fee is described as a refundable security deposit, but only if:

• You comply fully with your visa conditions,

• Depart within 5 days of visa expiration,

• Avoid unauthorized employment or overstays.

🚫 However, no formal refund process has been defined yet. For now, most travelers should assume the fee is non‑refundable.

📆 When Will the Fee Apply?

The law has been signed, and implementation is expected from October 1, 2025.
Beyond that, the fee will be adjusted annually for inflation, meaning future increases are possible.

💡 Tip: If you’re eligible and planning to travel soon, apply before October 2025 to avoid the added cost.

🇮🇳 Why It Matters for Indian Travelers

India isn’t part of the Visa Waiver Program, so this change affects almost all Indian applicants:

• Students will see total visa expenses near ₹65,000+.

• Families traveling for leisure will pay hundreds more.

• Businesses sending employees abroad will face additional per‑person costs.

✅ Key Takeaways

• 🏷️ $250 extra fee per person on non‑immigrant visas.

• 🚀 Apply now to avoid paying more later.

• 📈 Fee will be indexed to inflation from 2026 onward.

✨ Final Word

The United States remains a top destination, but your window to apply under the old fee structure is closing fast.
If you’ve been holding off on your plans, start your visa application now to save significantly before this new fee takes effect.