What to know about new travel fee to enter the US
According to a recent provision of the Trump administration, visitors of the United States will have to pay the “visa integrity fee”. A great beautiful bill law.
The fee is valid for all visitors in need Non -immigrant visas Enter and cannot be waived.
However, passengers can be repaid for wages according to the provisions.
In his statement to the US Travel Association spokesman CNBC Travel, the new requirement is less than “significant challenges and unanswered questions about the application”.
However, what is known so far.
What is the fee?
The fee will be at least $ 250 in the US financial year, which continued from 1 October 2024 to September 30, 2025. However, the internal security secretary is free to adjust the wage higher than the provisions.
Visa integrity fee will then be set for inflation.
Who should pay the new fee?
“Visa Integrity Fee” applies to all visitors who need immigrant visas including tourists, business travelers and international students.
When is the fee paid?
The fee is paid when a visa is given according to the visa. Therefore, visitors whose visa requests are rejected will not be collected.
Does the fee replace other visa fees?
No, the provision states that the new fee, including regular visa fees, is “additional”.
“For example, a H-1B worker who already pays an application fee of $ 205 can wait for a total of $ 455 when this fee is available,” Houston-based immigration law firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC’s partner, his partner’s partner. in a shipment on the company’s website.
Furthermore, a “Form I-94 fee”, which increases the fee of a large beautiful invoice action, must be paid above. From $ 6 For 24 dollars. This must be paid by the fee Form 1-94 Everyone who needs to send arrival and departure recordApplies to most travelers.
How can travelers get Refund?
Visa holders should comply with visa conditions that do not accept.[ing] Unauthorized employment, “and according to the provision of the validity of the visa did not exceed the date of more than five days.
Refund says that the travel visa will be made after the expiry of the term.
What is unknown
According to Brown, the fee has not yet been applied.
It is not clear when it will start.
“I believe this will need an arrangement or at least a notification of collection application in the federal record.” Brown said Brown. He said.
New visa fees continue to increase the costs of passengers who go to the United States, but questions about when and how to apply.
Gary Hershorn | Corbis News | Getty Images
The US Travel Association told CNBC how travelers will pay the fee.
“The bill directs the DHS Secretary to request a fee, but DHS does not have a visa application, export or renewal process – where and when would they collect the DHS fee?” He said.
In response to CNBC’s interrogations, a spokesman for the internal security ministry: “requires inter -agencies coordination before the visa integrity fee is applied.”
More questions surround how and when the repayment process starts.
Since many visas are valid for several years, US Congress Budget Office “A small number of people will seek refund.”
Moreover, the CBO expects the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to need a process to implement a process to provide a reimbursement. On this basis, CBO estimates that the entry into force of the provision will increase income and reduce the deficit will reduce the deficit 28.9 billion dollars compared to the period of 2025-2034. “
Brown said he advised customers to consider the fee uninvited.
“If you get it back, it’s great. But it’s usually difficult to get money from the government,” he said. “If they receive a refund, I prefer them to see it as a ‘bonus’.”
The purpose of the fee
“A great beautiful bill of President Trump offers our country’s policies and resources to recover the integrity of our country’s immigration system,” an internal security spokesman CNBC said. He said.
Data It indicates that most visa holders meet the visa conditions. According to the US Congress Research Service, in the financial years between 2016-2022, 1-2% of non-immigrant visitors exceeded their visas in the USA.
However, the estimated of approximately 11 million unauthorized population living in the US entered the country legally, but exceeded its acceptance periods.
The effect on incoming travelers
Brown said the visa integrity fee will probably affect B Visa Owners – Or entertainment and business travelers – and international students more than other travelers.
“For visa holders, they may not want to add an additional $ 250 per person for travel costs,” B said.
The new fee and the I-94 fee, while the US is preparing to host several major events in 2026, “America 250” celebrationIn honor of the 250th anniversary of the country and Sections of FIFA World Cup.
These obstacles are combined with the problems in Brand USA, the target marketing organization that encourages travel to the United States, which sees that a Big Beautiful Invoice Law has reduced its fund from $ 100 million to $ 20 million.
The deductions arrived in April after firing about half of the US Commercial Department of the US Brand in April.
Brand USA did not respond to CNBC’s comments.
Before the passage of the new legislation, the USA Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman praised the contributions of the bill US infrastructure, air traffic control and border security.
However, he added: “Smart investments in the travel process, new wages for foreign visitors and the US promotional branch of America is much more difficult to swallow in the United States.”
Kaela Ling from CNBC contributed to this report.
