Travelers to the U.S. must pay a new $250 'visa integrity fee' -- what to know

[highplainsdem]

Source: CNBC

Visitors to the United States will need to pay a “visa integrity fee,” according to a provision of the Trump administration’s recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The fee applies to all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas to enter, and cannot be waived.

However travelers may also be able to get the fees reimbursed, according to the provision.

-snip-

The fee will be at least $250 during the U.S. fiscal year 2025, which runs from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025. However, the secretary of Homeland Security is free to set the fee higher, according to the provision.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/18/visa-integrity-fee-what-to-know-about-new-travel-fee-to-enter-the-us-.html

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This will apply to all "tourists, business travelers and international students."

They can get the fee back if they comply with visa conditions and don't overstay the visa by more than 5 days.

The bill's language is a mess and doesn't clarify the interagency cooperation that will be necessary for collection of fees and reimbursement, but they're counting on few people getting reimbursed and estimated this never-collected fee will bring in nearly $30 billion in revenue in the next decade.

Idiots.

[lapfog_1]

1. The daughter of a close friend of mine ( my long time girlfriend )

is currently visiting the USA on a student work visa. She is in medical school with a full scholarship in Romania... and attends one of eastern europe's most famous medical schools. She is here just for 2 months. Right after she departed Romania, the organizers announced that this year would be the last for travel to the USA. These young men and women come here to work summer jobs at tourist traps all over the USA. They are extremely polite, well mannered, and well educated.

They come here to work these jobs as cashiers or similar not for the money, but just to visit the United States. Much like college students from the USA travel to EU and buy a Eurail pass and sleep in youth hostels and "backpack" around Europe for a summer.

My girlfriend's daughter want to experience "the old west" ( which I have to explain doesn't really and never did really exist ).

But her goal is to finish medical school and practice oncology in France or Romania.

I am so sad that the MAGAts and Xenophobes are closing the door to the USA for essentially everyone.

[OnDoutside]

4. I agree. The J1 visa used to be very popular amongst

Irish students for the summer in NY, LA, Cape Cod etc, but they're being warned off even trying. My son is just about to go to college and has completely ruled it out even though he has family in Florida and Chicago.

[Vinca]

2. There must have been a Cabinet meeting we didn't hear about where Trump asked them all what they could

do to kill tourism even more. From Maine to Florida, businesses catering to visitors are tanking and now he wants to add a $250 visa charge?? What a stupid shit.

[slightlv]

8. Killing tourism is the most visible result.

But for anyone, anywhere, who hears about this, what it says is "Stay out of the United States. We don't want or need you or your money in our country. You're not good enough to be here and we absolutely do not want to have you corrupting our country." This will impact not only tourism and $$$ in the U.S., but for a majority (?) of people in other countries, it will put a big bullseye on any American in their country. For years, business and government travellers have been schooled on which countries are hazardous to us and what to do and look out for. trump has now, IMO, just assured that travel outside of the country for U.S. citizens will become much, much more dangerous everywhere. And why wouldn't they hate us? It was the American voters who put this evil ignoramus into office. They wouldn't know a dem from a rep... (we can't generally tell, either). So, why should they take the chance? Just hate on all americans. Gives a whole new meaning to the words "Ugly American." Gods, I detest this man SO much. This will blowback on us for years... long after trump and repubs are buried.

I once thought trump and his evil crew were remaking the u.s. into a parallel of Hungary. I now believe trump, miller, and others want to emulate North Korea. If he continues in this vein, and you know he will, we will out-pariah the current global pariah.

[GenThePerservering]

14. I travel a lot and live part-time overseas

and so far I haven't felt any hate, just commiseration - "Sorry you have such a lousy president".

At least in Europe, most people are a bit more evolved than many in the US, and I still think it comes down to how we visitors/part-time residents conduct ourselves.

We'll see if my own experience continues to be positive - I guess time will tell.

[creon]

17. Got it in one

You have described it very well.

[Scrivener7]

3. Why do they hate the tourist industry?

[11 Bravo]

5. Did the dumb fuck think that people need MORE reasons not to visit the United States?

[PortTack]

11. Lots of beautiful places in the world to visit...really no need to come here.

[MLWR]

6. I guess tourism isn't down enough and the hospitality industry isn't losing enough for these morons.

[slightlv]

9. It would be really nice and fitting if his hotels and golf clubs

were the first to go out of business due to his policies. But that won't happen. Same way as a hurricane never seems to take out Mar a Lago. I've never wanted someone to see karma up close and personal the way I wish it upon him.

[dalton99a]

7. Truly idiotic.

[kimbutgar]

12. Wow what a way to destroy our tourism industry.

Another stupid decision for this atrocious administration.

[Figarosmom]

13. In the day and age of zoom and other methods

Of business meetings why would anyone bother coming here? And as for school or tourism, he already killed that.

[Prairie Gates]

15. Just like an abusive partner trying to separate you from your friends

or a cult trying to alienate you from your family, the US government is now trying to isolate Americans from the rest of the world. The results of such isolation are always bad.

[Hekate]

21. THIS

[Trueblue Texan]

16. They are really trying to kill international tourism. nt

[OldBaldy1701E]

18. Well, that's what is important to these vultures.

Gotta make this term in office profitable!

[amcgrath]

19. To Trump, $250 from 250k tourists

Is better than nothing from a million tourists. Because whatever it is, he demands he get a slice.

[FakeNoose]

20. "Dear travelers: Please make $250 checks payable to Donald J. Chump"

You KNOW they'll never refund any of them.