Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact his 'beautiful' legislation signed into law earlier this month is 'big', but one section that may have a huge impact on US tourism has largely gone under the radar until now.
When Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' became official, the White House released a statement that listed some of its benefits, including no tax on tips or overtime, a '12.5 billion modernization of our air traffic control system', and a permanent increase to the Child Tax Credit 'for more than 40 million families'.
However, there hasn't previously been much focus on one provision in the bill, which refers to a 'visa integrity fee'.
Tourists visiting the US from a foreign country must already obtain a visa to do so; a process which involves completing an application and scheduling an interview. Tourists may not need a visa if they are from a country that falls under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
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However, Trump's new bill adds a new cost to getting a visa, which will apply to all visitors who can't use the VWP and who need nonimmigrant visas, including tourists, business travelers and international students.
How much is the visa integrity fee?
According to CNBC, the fee for the US fiscal year 2025 - which runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025 - is at least $250.
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However, the provision notes that the secretary of Homeland Security is free to set the fee higher if they wish, and in the future the fee will be adjusted to account for inflation.
The new payment will only add to the existing cost of getting a visa, which already includes an application fee as well as a Form I-94 fee, which itself increased from $6 to $24 under Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The fee is paid when the visa is issued - but the additional cost may put tourists off wanting to visit the US altogether.
Visitors may be able to get reimbursements on the fee if they comply with the conditions of the visa, but only after it expires.
What is the purpose of the visa integrity fee?
With reimbursements available if the visa holder sticks to the conditions, the new fee may deter any considerations to overstay the length of their visa.
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In a statement to CNBC, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security simply said: “President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill provides the necessary policies and resources to restore integrity in our nation’s immigration system."
When will the visa integrity fee come into play?
Steven A. Brown, from the Houston-based immigration law firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC, wrote in a blog post that the fee has not yet been implemented, and there is currently no indication of when it will begin.
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The fee will likely need some clarification first, as a spokesperson from the US Travel Association told CNBC Travel that a lack of details surrounding the idea have resulted in 'significant challenges and unanswered questions regarding implementation'.
The spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said: “The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation.”
Who is exempt from the visa integrity fee?
The US government website currently names a number of countries that fall under the Visa Waiver Program. They are listed below:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Chile
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
Topics: Donald Trump, Travel, Immigration, Politics
Emily Brown