Effective January 1, 2026, all applicants for non-immigrant U.S. visas, including those for tourism, study, and work, will face increased fees. A new Visa Integrity Fee of $250 will be added to the existing consular fee of $185, bringing the total cost of a visa to $435.
This new visa fee is mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1), which was signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025. The full text of the bill is publicly available on the official congress.gov website.
The fee increase will impact commonly sought visa categories such as B1/B2 (tourism and business), F-1 (student), J-1 (exchange programs), H-1B (employment), and others.
The Integrity Fee will be subject to annual adjustments based on inflation, specifically referencing the Consumer Price Index. This fee is non-negotiable and cannot be waived or reduced; it is an additional charge to existing visa fees.
While the fee is generally non-refundable, applicants may be eligible for a refund if they have fully complied with all visa conditions. This includes, for example, departing the country within the permitted timeframe and adhering to all terms of stay. All unrefunded fees will be allocated to the U.S. budget.
U.S. embassies are anticipated to begin implementing this new fee structure in January 2026. Currently, the previous fee of $185 remains in effect.
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