Indian tourists, students, and H-1B professionals planning to travel to the United States will soon face a significant new cost. A mandatory $250 “Visa Integrity Fee" will be added to most non-immigrant visa categories.
The fee is part of US President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on 4 July. It applies to nearly all visa types, including B-1/B-2 (tourist/business), F/M (student), H-1B (work), and J (exchange) visas. Only diplomatic visas in the A and G categories are exempt.
The fee must be paid at the time the visa is issued and will be in addition to the regular visa application fees already in place.
The Visa Integrity Fee is set at a minimum of $250 for fiscal year 2025, though the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the authority to adjust the amount. From fiscal year 2026, the fee will increase annually based on inflation, making it a recurring and gradually rising cost for applicants.
Unlike standard visa fees, this new surcharge cannot be waived or reduced. However, applicants who fully comply with their visa conditions may be eligible for a refund. This includes following all visa rules, not taking up unauthorised work, and either leaving the US within five days of their authorised stay or securing a legal extension or change of status.
The fee is being seen as a form of security deposit, designed to encourage lawful behaviour while in the US.
According to US-based immigration services firm Fragomen, the rule is part of a broader set of new travel-related charges. These include a $24 I-94 fee, a $13 ESTA fee for travellers under the Visa Waiver Programme, and a $30 EVUS fee for some Chinese nationals.
For Indian applicants, this means the cost of a US tourist/business visa (B-1/B-2), which currently stands at $185 (around Rs 15,855), could rise to around $472 (Rs 40,456) when all the new fees are added. This is nearly two-and-a-half times the current amount.
