U.S. Enacts $250 “Visa Integrity Fee”

The U.S. will require international visitors to pay a new “Visa Integrity Fee” of at least $250. The fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain nonimmigrant visas to enter the U.S. This includes leisure and business travelers, international students, and temporary workers. Canadian visitors as well as visitors who enter the U.S. using the visa-waiver program, will be exempt from this fee.

The effective date for the new fee is to-be-determined.  Once the fee takes effect, it will need to be paid when applying for a nonimmigrant visa, but travelers may be reimbursed after their visa validity period expires, provided they complied with their visa’s terms. The process of how reimbursements will be processed is still to-be-determined.

The tourism industry, which is already experiencing a drop in international tourists to the U.S., is bracing for the impact of the new fee. Geoff Freeman, the president and chief executive of the U.S. Travel Association, a trade group that promotes travel to and within the country, called the fees “foolish” while praising the bill’s improvements to travel infrastructure and security.

In addition to this new fee, several existing fees related to U.S. entry will increase.  The fee for the I-94 form, a record of departure and arrival, will increase from $6 to $24, and the fee for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which is required for visitors from visa-waiver countries, will increase from $21 to $40.

ILG will continue to provide additional information regarding the visa integrity fee as they become available.  In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact your ILG attorney or reach our firm at .