New $250 'visa integrity fee' will affect millions of foreign visitors to US

Millions of foreign visitors to the United States will likely have to pay a new $250 visa fee introduced by President Donald Trump’s newly established “big, beautiful bill.”

Starting Oct. 1, the $250 “visa integrity fee,” tacked on to the visa’s $185 existing cost, will apply to any foreign national seeking to enter the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa. This classification applies to tourists, people traveling for business, students, and more, and allows them to stay in the U.S. for up to six months. Roughly 11 million visitors to the U.S. were issued nonimmigrant visas in 2024, according to the New York Times.