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US to charge $250 visa fee for tourists, students from 2026
For Indian travelers, the total cost of obtaining a U.S. visa could rise to approximately $480, effectively doubling current expenses.
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 09, Jul 2025
- 15:25 EDT
- 385
Representative image. / Canva
Indian nationals traveling to the United States for tourism, education, or temporary work will soon face a significant increase in visa-related costs.
Beginning in 2026, a new $250 “Visa Integrity Fee” will be levied on most non-immigrant visa categories under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which was signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump on July 4.
Also Read: India records 27 percent drop in US student visas, largest since COVID
The surcharge will apply to B-1/B-2 tourist and business visas, F and M student visas, H-1B work visas, and J-1 exchange visas, among others. Only diplomatic visa classes (A and G) are exempt.
The fee will be collected by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at the time of visa issuance and is framed as a refundable security deposit. To be eligible for a refund, travelers must comply with all visa conditions—such as departing the U.S. within five days of expiration or adjusting their immigration status legally—and submit the required documentation.
The $250 charge is in addition to existing costs. The current $185 Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) application fee remains unchanged, but applicants will also be required to pay a $24 I-94 surcharge for entry/exit tracking.
Those using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) or Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) will incur additional fees of $13 and $30, respectively. For Indian travelers, the total cost of obtaining a U.S. visa could rise to approximately $480, effectively doubling current expenses.
The new surcharge is part of a broader immigration overhaul under the One Big Beautiful Bill, which allocates $150 billion through 2029 for expanded immigration enforcement.
The legislation increases funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), expands detention infrastructure, accelerates deportations, and limits asylum access. These measures will be partially funded through higher visa fees and a new 1 percent tax on foreign remittances, according to the Immigration Advocacy Project.
While the DHS maintains that the Visa Integrity Fee will promote compliance and deter overstays, critics argue that the fee disproportionately burdens applicants from countries like India, which sees high demand for U.S. visas. Education providers, technology employers, and travel industry representatives have warned that the increased financial burden may discourage students and skilled workers from choosing the U.S.
Estimates suggest that the new visa and related fees could generate $64 billion through 2034, contributing to federal tax and enforcement funding—but at a substantial cost to immigrant communities.
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