Millions of travelers to the U.S. could be charged $250 "visa integrity fee"

Many travelers to the U.S. are now subject to a new $250 "visa integrity fee," part of the tax cuts and spending law signed by President Trump on July 4.

The fee is effective in the current federal fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1, 2024, and ends on Sept. 30, 2025, according to the text of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. For subsequent years, the amount will be adjusted for inflation, the law states.

The fee applies to visitors who come to the U.S. on nonimmigrant visas, such as foreign students attending American universities or workers who receive temporary work visas such as the H-1B, which is often used by companies to hire foreign engineers or other skilled workers.

In 2023, the U.S. issued more than 10 million nonimmigrant visas, according to data from the U.S. State Department.

Visa holders subjected to the fee may later be reimbursed as long as they comply with their visa's restrictions, such as leaving the U.S. within five days of the visa's expiration, according to the new law. However, the law doesn't specify how visa holders may apply for reimbursement of the fee, nor how the fee will be collected.

"The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation," a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told CBS MoneyWatch in an email. "President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill provides the necessary policies and resources to restore integrity in our nation's immigration system," it added.

Given that fee isn't yet set up to be collected, it's unclear whether the visa integrity fee will be retroactive. The Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to a question about whether the fee would be collected retroactively.

The new fee will add to the hurdles facing immigrants, according to the American Immigration Council, a nonpartisan think tank focused on immigration issues. It noted the new bill also includes additional new charges, including a new $100 fee for people applying for asylum.

"These fees, many of which are authorized to be layered on top of existing fees, are largely mandatory, effectively putting legal pathways out of reach for thousands of people," the group said in a July 14 statement.

For instance, student visa applicants already must pay an $185 application fee and a $350 fee for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The additional $250 fee will bring their total cost to $785.

People seeking asylum in the U.S., who previously could apply for that designation for free, could face total filing fees of more than $1,150 under the new law, according to the American Immigration Council.

Many tourists to the U.S. don't require visas due to the Visa Waiver Program, which allows residents of more than 40 nations — ranging from Australia to the U.K. — to enter the U.S. for fewer than 90 days without a visa.