Traveling To The U.S.? New ‘Visa Integrity Fee’ Will Cost $250, And Up To $15,000 With Bonds

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A picture taken October 2, 2019 shows an unidentified Chinese Uighur man in the city of Medinah holding his expired Chinese passport (red) and a one-way travel document (blue) issued in its place by the Chinese mission in Saudi Arabia. (Photo by – / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

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How much is a visit to America worth to you?

Well, it depends on who you are and where you are traveling from.

On August 20, 2025, the US State Department launched a one-year Visa Bond Pilot Program, requiring certain applicants for B-1/B-2 visitor visas to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. While the bond is refundable, the goal is to assess and observe the effectiveness in deterring overstays.

Beginning October 1, 2025, a recently enacted domestic policy, which calls for a “visa integrity fee,” is expected to increase the cost of entering the US for most non-immigrant visas. The price tag of $250 will affect many of the seventy-two million visitors who enter the US each year, although some countries will be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program.

While both of these changes will likely create a bit of uncertainty and concern across the global tourism industry, the United States is following other countries, such as the UK, which have recently enacted new fees to enter.

When officials begin collecting the fees, the money will go to the US Treasury Department’s general fund.

A Balancing Act

When it comes to charging additional fees, the move highlights the balancing act taking place: pursuing immigration enforcement while maintaining the country’s position as a premier global destination for tourists, business visitors, students, and temporary workers.

With the US set to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, industry leaders worry that higher costs and added bureaucracy could deter fans, students, and tourists alike from making the trip, simply pushing visitors — and their dollars — elsewhere.

The US Travel Association called the fee a “giant leap backwards” that could discourage millions of potential visitors from coming.

“This fee, which will be at least $250 and comes on top of existing visa fees, adds an unnecessary financial barrier for international visitors,” said Erik Hansen, SVP of government relations at the association. Pushing the upfront cost of visiting the US up to 144% under the new rules.

The Trump administration has defended the fee as part of a broader strategy to strengthen immigration enforcement. A State Department spokesperson said the policy supports priorities of “deterring visa overstays, funding border security, and strengthening immigration enforcement.” Officials argue that this ensures the US benefits financially from visitors who fail to follow visa rules, and the visa, once obtained, is valid for several years. These fees were all part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed earlier this year.

A New Layer of Costs: How It Will Work

The new fee applies to all travelers who require a nonimmigrant visa to enter the United States from countries not covered by the Visa Waiver Program. For these travelers, the $250 integrity fee charge is in addition to the standard $185 visa processing fee.
Visitors from countries in the Visa Waiver Program — which includes many European countries, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and others — will continue to be exempt. However, required for entry under the Waiver program, visitors must pay the cost of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which will be increased from $21 to at least $40.

Beyond the integrity fee, other increases will be levied on those driving across the borders. The I-94 entry/exit record fee will be rising by 400% going from $6 to $24. All of these fees are based on 2025 pricing and will be subject to annual inflation adjustments.

Bonds Acting As A Refundable Security Deposit?

Meanwhile, some visitors may face even steeper up-front costs, although they could be eligible to get the money back. In a separate State Department pilot program, the Visa Bond Pilot program, visa bonds of up to $15,000 will need to be paidbefore entry into the United States for specific categories of travelers considered higher risk.

Suppose travelers comply with the terms of their visa and depart the country on time without overstaying. In that case, they may be eligible for reimbursement, giving this fee a unique twist, acting almost as a refundable security deposit.

The fee will be administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has not detailed how travelers will request refunds, how long the process will take, or how disputes will be resolved. A DHS spokesperson acknowledged that “cross-agency coordination” is required before implementation, and a rulemaking process through the Federal Register is likely.

Until then, some travelers from countries such as Malawi and Zambia face an unusual paradox: paying a hefty fee up front with no guarantee of an easy refund.

It’s estimated that the new $250 visa integrity fee will bring in around $27 billion over a decade, or $2.7 billion per year, according to The Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Money that could be used to reduce the national debt.

Oxford Economics, estimated that the $250-per-person fee could deter nearly 1 million fewer visits annually, ultimately costing the US economy $11 billion over three years, in lost visitor spending and lost tax revenue. That lost revenue could trigger the loss of 15,000 US travel jobs.