The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) has introduced massive changes to the US immigration fee structure, and it will have a major impact in the USA and around the world. Anyone from a country that does not have special immigration exemptions with the USA will face an increase in visa cost for all short-term visits and long-term admission to the USA. The new visa integrity fee will cost $250.00 when you accept your visa to the USA. Tourists, students, work visas, religious workers and exchange programs are all affected by OBBA. This fee is mandatory; you must pay to get your visa. If you comply with all the requirements of your visa, for example, do not overstay, and comply with all the other requirements, you may apply for a refund of the fee.
Who Must Pay
The visa integrity fee applies universally to all nonimmigrant visa categories, including:
· Tourist and Business Visas (B-1/B-2): Affecting millions of leisure and business travellers annually
· Student Visas (F-1/M-1): Creating additional financial burdens for international students already facing high education costs
· Work Visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1): Adding costs for employers, professional and skilled workers
· Religious Workers – (R-1,) clergy and dependents (R-2)
· Exchange Program Visas (J-1): Impacting cultural and educational exchange participants
· All Dependent Categories: Including H-4, L-2, F-2, R-2, and J-2 visas for family members
The bullseye is on travellers from over one hundred and forty countries who have less than 90 days visit to the USA. These nations do not have the favored immigration status of the forty-three nations that have been granted the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) by the US. These favored nations are the G-7 countries outside of North America, other mostly western European countries, Australia & South Korea are exempt from this Visa Integrity Fee. However, these countries will see an increase in the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) authorization fee, which has increased from $21 to $40.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents from the forty-three Visa Waiver Program countries are exempt from paying the Visa Integrity Fee for short-term visits of less than ninety days to the United States. However, permanent residents in Canada from non-VWP countries for example, Jamaica, India, South Africa, Nigeria, China, and Brazil, must pay the Visa Integrity Fee upon successful application for a US visa in any one of the categories above.
Here is a summary of the proposed fee increases.
Cumulative Fee Increases
The visa integrity fee is part of a broader pattern of immigration fee increases under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Other significant changes include:
|
Fee Category |
Previous Amount |
New Amount |
Increase |
|
Visa Integrity Fee |
None |
$250.00 |
New Fee |
|
Form I-94 Fee |
$6 |
$24 |
300% |
|
ESTA Authorization |
$21 |
$40 |
90% |
|
TPS Registration |
$50 |
$500 |
900% |
|
Asylum Application |
Free |
$100 |
New fee |
|
Annual Asylum Fee |
N/A |
$100 |