Visa costs in the U.S. will increase. Unless you are travelling with an immigrant visa, a new $250 fee, set to take effect in 2026, will be added to your budget if you visit, work, or study in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa.

The Visa Integrity Fee is the largest recent immigration expense in the U.S. It is not the standard visa application fee, which is refunded upon regulatory compliance. The refund process is not fully transparent, and federal agencies have yet to resolve issues.

This cost will affect your schedule and finances, whether you are an O-1 visa applicant, a company needing an L-1 visa transfer, or a student attending an American university. Here’s what you need to know.

What Is the Visa Integrity Fee?

New charge: Visa Integrity Fee. A new fee (TBD) of $250 that was passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and signed on July 4, 2025. DHS developed it to fund more robust border protection and to encourage individuals to comply with visa regulations.

The MRV fee reimburses costs that differ from the current fees you already pay when you apply, and include administrative expenses. The visa integrity fee is charged when your visa is successfully processed and is refundable, provided you comply with your visa conditions.

The fee will begin at $250 per capita, although it may be increased by law at DHS. The fee will also increase with inflation, with adjustments made annually based on the Consumer Price Index, starting in FY 2026.

To whom should the Visa Integrity Fee be paid?

This charge is imposed on all foreigners issued non-immigrant visas at a U.S. embassy or consulate outside the United States. It includes all short-term visa categories that require a stamp in your passport.

This fee is charged when you apply for work visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN), student and exchange visitor visas (F-1, M-1, J-1), and business and tourist visas (B-1/B-2). It is a per-person fee, so dependents count as well. Consider an H-1B employee with a wife and two children; they would be required to pay $1000 in Visa Integrity Fees.

When the Fee Is Charged

Timing matters. The Visa Integrity Fee is not an application fee; it is an issuance fee. It is paid upon approval of a visa by a consular officer, rather than upon completion of the DS-160 form or scheduling an interview.

If your visa application is refused, you do not pay a cent. That provides you with protection relative to the MRV fee you pay, regardless of whether your visa is approved.

The fee is separate from USCIS petition filing fees. If your employer files an I-129 petition for an O-1 visa processing, they pay USCIS fees during that stage. The Visa Integrity Fee applies only when you visit a consulate abroad to obtain the visa stamp.

Who Is Exempt From the Fee?

Not everyone pays. The charge is imposed at visa issuance; therefore, passengers who do not require a visa stamp typically do not pay the fee.

Travellers to countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program, such as the U.K., Japan, Australia, and most of Europe, complete ESTA and do not receive a visa stamp, so they do not pay the Visa Integrity Fee. They pay the regular ESTA application fee.

A visa exemption applies to most Canadians. When a Canadian travels with TN status or attends a business meeting, they are not stamped with a visa; therefore, they do not pay the fee. However, if a Canadian wishes to obtain a visa in categories such as the E-2 investor visa, they must pay the fee like everyone else.

A and G visa holders in the same case are not classified as diplomatic or official travelers, as the action complies with international diplomatic rules.

How the Refund Process Works

The ability to refund the fee is strange. The majority of the U.S government charges are permanent. The Visa Integrity Fee is a security deposit that will be returned if you comply with the regulations.

The fee is refunded in case you: 

1) Comply with all visa regulations, including not working without permission.

2) Depart the U.S. before the early expiry of the initial visa, in five days. 

3) Legally prolong your status or qualify as a permanent resident, whilst the visa remains valid.

Refund Eligibility Requirements

Source: One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21), Section 100007

Steps to Claim Your Refund

Information on refunds has not yet been published on DHS (as of January 2026). You are likely to be required by law to send out a refund application, which is done after leaving the U.S. You will be asked to provide your passport number, visa number, and evidence that you have taken your flight on time -more often, an airline boarding pass, data at exit scan.

DHS will screen your exit with its entry-exit system. In case your departure was not scanned in the airport exit scan, you have to show other materials to demonstrate that you were out.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that it would take several years to establish a working refund system. That is why it is not clear how soon you will recoup your money, or even at all, during the initial years.

Effect on Family and Employers.

Family Travel Costs

It is the cost borne by families. The same family that used to travel by air with two children on B-2 tourist visas would be required to pay Visa Integrity Fees of $1000 before covering MRV charges, airfare, hotel fees, or other travel expenses.

The fee is refundable, but funds will not be reimbursed until you complete your U.S. visit and the refund process is complete. For families with limited budgets, this means they will have to wait months for the refund.

Employer Sponsorship

For an employment-based visa, the act requires the applicant, not the employer, to pay the fee. Yet most employers are already covering immigration expenses as employee fringe benefits.

HR should ensure that its reimbursement policies cover this new fee. The fee is not listed on USCIS forms or petitions; it is collected at consulates individually. Therefore, tracking and paying it back would require additional work in the HR system.

Organisations that intend to relocate employees or recruit expatriates must immediately switch their immigration budgets. In addition to the standard O-1 visa fee, each employee and family member incurs an additional $250 fee.

Table of Implementation Timeline and Current State.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted on July 4, 2025, and the Visa Integrity Fee is not currently charged. The new fee should be collected through federal agencies' efforts.

On July 11, 2025, USCIS announced that the new fee would take effect soon, but it did not. On July 22, 2025, a notice published in the Federal Register stated that the fee should be cross-agency coordinated and addressed at a later date.

As of January 2026, the Bureau of Consular Affairs in the Department of State has not provided guidance to embassies and consulates on visa issuance. The top officials for the consulting posts are awaiting the final word from DHS to begin fee coverage.

They are to take effect sometime in fiscal year 2026 (p. start as of Oct. 1, 2025) through Sep. 30, 2026, although no exact start date has been announced. Visa applicants should monitor announcements from USCIS and the State Department.

Annual Raising of Fee and Long-term Planning.

The base fee is $250 now. Under the law, the fee will increase annually at the rate of inflation, starting in fiscal year 2026. Assuming the inflation rate of 3 per cent annually, the charge may reach $275 in 2028 and above $300 in 2031.

A higher base rate is also achievable under DHS rules. Although the minimum is legally $250, the agency may issue regulations raising the base fee to $300 or even $350 before inflation increases begin.

Annual increases apply to individuals pursuing long-term visa plans, including students, those looking to switch to a work visa, or those on a work visa who wish to apply for permanent residency. When your visa is stamped at a consulate, you must pay the fee at the current rate.

The impact of this fee on the typical types of visas.

The greatest budget blow falls on work visa holders. The initial applicant already holds an O-1 visa and must pay the USCIS initial fee, optional and expedited processing, attorneys, and the current Visa Integrity Fee of USD 250 per person. This is one cost employers should include in their talent-hiring packages.

The same applies to employees relocating under L-1 visas. Organisations sending multiple employees to the U.S. should allocate an additional $250 per visa application. When an L-1A manager arrives with a spouse and a child, the Visa Integrity Fees alone would cost $750, not including petitions or relocation fees.

Students face extra hardship. F-1 visas are already covered by international students, who pay SEVIS, MRV, and tuition. The visa fee further burdens applicants by adding $250, posing another challenge, particularly for students in less developed countries whose monthly income will not cover it.

Those who intend to use EB-2 NIW and other permanent residence categories should understand that there will be no annual increment or visa costs for nonimmigrants once they obtain a green card.

Plough through the Visa Fee Change With Confidence.

Immigration costs are rising, but you do not have to navigate these changes on your own. Beyond Border assists tech workers, researchers, and entrepreneurs with U.S. visa costs, increasing their likelihood of success.

Our group understands the impacts of changes, such as the Recovery Fees and the Visa Integrity Fee, on your funds. Receive specialist assistance in the timetable of visa submission and maintain the expenses low, familiarise yourself with refund chances, and devise your long-term immigration outlook.

Contact Beyond Border to learn what life will be like in 2026, plan your immigration costs, and organise your trip to the country effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the $250 charge per person or per family? It is per person. All visa applicants must pay $250, regardless of age.

May I pay this fee before the visa interview? No. When you get a visa, you are expected to pay the fee.

But what will happen to me if I extend my stay in the U.S.? Refund eligibility is retained through lawful extensions (Form I-539). You can still be refunded, provided that you eventually leave the U.S.

Are Canadians paying Visa Integrity Fees? Most Canadians do not need to pay, as they enter the country on an electronic entry permit rather than a visa stamp (TN, B-1/B-2). There are still others, such as the E-2, that must pay, but the stamp is mandatory.

When will the fee actually commence? This is not yet being implemented. It will be in January 2026, though no date has been announced yet.

Should the fee increase over time? Yes. It will increase the fee annually to match inflation beginning the fiscal year 2026.

Does this fee trigger a change of status in the U.S.? No. The fee does not occur when you change status within the message. The U.S. New visa stamps at foreign consulates are the only ones counted.

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