Since October 1, 2025, most people who get a temporary US visa now have to pay a new $250 charge called the visa integrity fee. It applies on top of existing visa fees and is collected at the US Embassy when your visa is issued. Here is what you need to know.
Key Takeaways
- New $250 fee: Added to most nonimmigrant visas by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 4, 2025). Adjusts annually for inflation.
- Paid at the consulate: Collected when your visa is issued, not at application.
- ESTA and green card applicants are exempt.
- Refund is possible if you follow your visa terms, but the claims process is not live yet.
- Not all consulates are charging yet: Rollout is uneven. Confirm with your embassy before your appointment.
- Ellis can help: Contact us to talk with an immigration attorney.
What Is the US Visa Integrity Fee?
The US visa integrity fee is a new $250 surcharge on most temporary (nonimmigrant) US visas. It was created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed on July 4, 2025. The fee is designed to fund DHS enforcement and encourage people to follow their visa rules.
This fee is separate from standard USCIS filing fees and the Department of State's visa application fee. The $250 is a starting point; it adjusts each year based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
Current rollout status (2026): The law's start date was October 1, 2025, but implementation has been uneven across US consulates worldwide. Some embassies are actively collecting the fee, while others are still waiting on payment and tracking systems to go live. Always confirm instructions with your consular post before your visa interview.
Which Visa Categories Are Subject to the Visa Integrity Fee?
The fee applies to people who get a nonimmigrant (temporary) visa stamp at a US Embassy or consulate. This covers a wide range of visa types like:
Employment visas:
- H-1B (specialty occupation workers)
- L-1 (intracompany transferees)
- O-1 (extraordinary ability)
- E-3 (Australian specialty occupation workers)
- TN (Canadian and Mexican professionals getting a visa stamp)
Students and exchange visitors:
Tourism and business:
- B-1/B-2 (visitor visas)
The fee is charged per person, per visa. If a primary worker applies alongside three dependents (H-4, L-2, or F-2), the family pays at least $1,000 in integrity fees before any standard application costs.
Who Is Exempt from the Visa Integrity Fee?
Two groups do not pay:
- Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) travelers: If you hold a passport from an ESTA country such as the UK, Germany, Japan, or Australia and you travel under the Visa Waiver Program, you don't get a visa stamp and don't owe the fee.
Note: the same law also raised the ESTA fee to approximately $40.
- Immigrant visa and green card applicants: People applying for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status to become a lawful permanent resident are not subject to this fee.
When and How Is the Visa Integrity Fee Paid?
The fee applies to visas issued on or after October 1, 2025. Visas issued before that date are not affected. Each time you get a new visa stamp after that date, whether first-time or renewal, you pay it.
The US Department of State collects it when your visa is issued at the Embassy or consulate. You cannot pay it when submitting your DS-160, and it is not paid to USCIS.
If you are inside the US extending or changing your status without traveling, you will not trigger this fee. It only applies when you get a new visa stamp at a consulate abroad. Payment procedures vary by post, so confirm with your embassy before your appointment.
How Does the Visa Integrity Fee Refund Work?
To qualify for a refund, you must satisfy all of the following:
- You followed all conditions of your visa, including no unauthorized work.
- Either: you left the US within five days of your authorized stay ending.
- Or: you got a legal extension of stay or were approved for a green card while your original visa was still valid.
The refund is not automatic, and DHS has not yet launched a portal or published instructions for how to claim it. Until then, save everything that shows you complied with your visa: flight receipts, boarding passes, your I-94 record, and employment documents. You will need these once the process goes live.
Are Employers Required to Pay the Visa Integrity Fee?
No. Unlike certain USCIS fees that employers are legally required to cover, the visa integrity fee is charged directly to the individual at the consulate.
Here is what HR and talent teams need to know:
The fee is not triggered at USCIS petition filing. It only applies when an employee goes to a US Embassy abroad to get a visa stamp. Employees already inside the US who are extending or changing status without traveling are not directly affected.
Visa renewals abroad will trigger it. Any worker who travels internationally and renews their visa stamp at a consulate pays the fee each time. Factor this into your global mobility budget.
Employers can choose to cover it. The law does not prevent employers from reimbursing the fee as part of a relocation or visa package. Any eventual government refund would go to the individual traveler, not the employer. Talk to your immigration counsel about how to structure this.
Canadian employees are a special case. Canadians who process TN or L-1 status at a US port of entry without getting a visa stamp have different fee mechanics. Canadians who do get a visa stamp at a consulate, and non-Canadian dependents, follow standard fee rules. Check with an attorney for your specific situation.
Visa Integrity Fee vs. Other 2025-2026 Immigration Fee Changes
The visa integrity fee is one part of a larger set of immigration cost increases from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:
Fee | Amount | Who Pays |
|---|---|---|
Visa integrity fee | $250 minimum | Most nonimmigrant visa stamp applicants |
ESTA application | ~$40 | Visa Waiver Program travelers |
TPS application | $500 | Temporary Protected Status applicants |
EAD (parolees, asylees, TPS) | $550 | Employment authorization applicants |
Annual asylum fee | $100/year | Pending asylum applicants |
I-94 record | $24 | Travelers requesting I-94 records |
All of these are on top of existing USCIS and Department of State fees. Ellis will monitor as DHS releases more details on implementation and the refund process.
Streamline Your Immigration Needs
Planning a visa appointment abroad or managing immigration for your team? Get in touch with the immigration experts at Ellis to make sure you're prepared.
This post is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice.
