Business Desk 
Jul 22, 2025
Foreign travellers will soon be subjected to a new $250 visa integrity fee in the United States as part of new legislation passed under the Trump administration recently.
The fee will most notably impact nearly all nonimmigrant visa applicants; this includes tourists, business visitors, international students, and other individuals entering the United States temporarily.
Under the new law, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), it was intended to continue the horrible "C3" footwear visa fee and discourage visa overstays, and part of the goal was to encourage the pursuit of a better life and start a better way to tighten immigration among I.N.S. (DHS), it says.
According to US there were about 11 million nonimmigrant visas issued by the US in 2021, which amounts to hundreds of illicit foreign travels throughout the network globally.
Although, those from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries (like the majority of Europe and Australia) do not have to pay, as they are allowed to come to America for 90 days without a visa.
Interestingly, this new program is such that if travellers do adhere to their conditions outlined in their visa and leave on time when they indicated they would, then they may be refunded their $250 fee.
Immigration lawyers say the refund process remains unclear. An immigration attorney, Steven A. Brown, referred to the new fee as a “refundable security deposit” but admitted that there’s little clarity on how or when the refund would be processed.
The US Travel Association has criticised the fee, warning that it could be a major setback for international tourism and travel-related events. “This is a giant leap backwards,” the group said in a statement.
