Guests to the US might want to pay a “visa integrity charge,” in line with a provision of the Trump administration’s lately enacted One Massive Lovely Invoice Act.
The charge applies to all guests who want nonimmigrant visas to enter, and can’t be waived.
Nonetheless vacationers can also be capable of get the charges reimbursed, in line with the supply.
Particulars in regards to the new requirement are scant, which has resulted in “important challenges and unanswered questions relating to implementation,” a spokesperson from the U.S. Journey Affiliation instructed CNBC Journey.
Nonetheless, here’s what is thought so far.
How a lot is the charge?
The charge might be at the very least $250 in the course of the U.S. fiscal 12 months 2025, which runs from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025. Nonetheless, the secretary of Homeland Safety is free to set the charge larger, in line with the supply.
Thereafter, the visa integrity charge might be adjusted for inflation.
Who should pay the brand new charge?
The “visa integrity charge” applies to all guests who want nonimmigrant visas, which incorporates vacationers, enterprise vacationers and worldwide college students. Some guests, together with these from Australia, Japan and many countries in Europe, could not want visas to enter below the Visa Waiver Program.
When is the charge paid?
The charge is paid when the visa is issued, in line with the supply. Thus, guests whose visa requests are denied won’t be charged.
Does the charge exchange different visa charges?
No, the supply states that the brand new charge is “along with” different charges, together with common visa charges.
“For instance, an H-1B employee already paying a $205 utility charge could now count on to pay a complete of $455 as soon as this charge is in place,” Steven A. Brown, a accomplice on the Houston-based immigration legislation agency Reddy Neumann Brown PC, wrote in a put up on his agency’s web site.
Moreover, the charge have to be paid on prime of a “Kind I-94 charge,” which the One Massive Lovely Invoice Act elevated from $6 to $24. That charge have to be paid by anybody who’s required to submit a Kind I-94 arrival and departure report, which applies to most vacationers.
How can vacationers get reimbursed?
To get their a reimbursement, visa holders should adjust to the circumstances of the visa, which incorporates “not settle for[ing] unauthorized employment,” and never overstay the visa validity date by greater than 5 days, in line with the supply.
Reimbursements might be made after the journey visa expires, it says.
What is not recognized
The charge has not but been applied, in line with Brown.
It isn’t clear when it can start.
“I consider it will want a regulation, or at the very least a discover within the Federal Register, relating to implementation on assortment,” mentioned Brown.
New visa charges stand to extend prices for vacationers to the US, however questions stay about when and the way the charges might be applied.
Gary Hershorn | Corbis Information | Getty Photographs
It is usually unclear how vacationers can pay the charge, the U.S. Journey Affiliation instructed CNBC.
“The invoice directs the DHS Secretary to cost the charge, however DHS doesn’t personal the visa utility, issuance or renewal course of — so the place and when would DHS gather the charge?” the spokesperson mentioned.
In response to CNBC’s enquires, a Division of Homeland Safety spokesperson mentioned: “The visa integrity charge requires cross-agency coordination earlier than implementation.”
Extra questions encompass how and when the reimbursement course of kicks in.
Since many visas are legitimate for a number of years, the U.S. Congressional Finances Workplace mentioned it expects “a small variety of folks would search reimbursement.”
Furthermore, “CBO expects that the Division of State would want a number of years to implement a course of for offering reimbursements. On that foundation, CBO estimates that enacting the supply would enhance revenues and reduce the deficit by $28.9 billion over the 2025‑2034 interval.”
Brown mentioned he’s advising purchasers to deal with the charge as nonrefundable.
“If you happen to get it again, nice. However it’s often troublesome to get cash again from the federal government,” he mentioned. “I might fairly them view it as a ‘bonus’ in the event that they get the refund.”
The aim of the charge
“President Trump’s One Massive Lovely Invoice gives the mandatory insurance policies and assets to revive integrity in our nation’s immigration system,” a Division of Homeland Safety spokesperson instructed CNBC.
Information reveals most visa holders adjust to their visa phrases. For the fiscal years between 2016 and 2022, between 1%-2% of nonimmigrant guests overstayed their visas in the US, in line with the U.S. Congressional Analysis Service.
Nonetheless, an estimated 42% of the roughly 11 million unauthorized inhabitants residing in the US entered the nation legally, however overstayed their interval of admission, the info reveals.
Impact on incoming vacationers
Brown mentioned the visa integrity charge will possible affect B visa holders — or leisure and enterprise vacationers — and worldwide college students greater than different varieties of vacationers.
“For B visa holders, they might not wish to add an extra $250 per individual to their journey prices,” he mentioned.
The brand new charge, plus the I-94 charge, come as the US prepares to host a number of main occasions in 2026, together with the “America 250” celebration, in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, and components of the FIFA World Cup.
These hurdles are compounded by issues at Model USA, the vacation spot advertising group that promotes inbound journey into the US, which noticed the One Massive Lovely Invoice Act slash its funding from $100 million to $20 million.
The cuts got here after the U.S. Commerce Division fired almost half of Model USA’s board members in April.
In a press release, Fred Dixon, the group’s president and CEO, mentioned it’s “upset” with the cuts but hopeful that the funds might be restored for the fiscal 12 months 2026.
“We stay centered on rising official worldwide inbound journey and the very important enhance it gives to the U.S. economic system,” he mentioned.
Forward of the passage of the One Massive Lovely Invoice Act, U.S. Journey Affiliation President and CEO Geoff Freeman praised the invoice’s contributions to U.S. infrastructure, air visitors management and border safety.
However, he added: “The good investments within the journey course of make silly new charges on overseas guests and reductions to Model USA, America’s promotion arm, that a lot tougher to swallow.”
— CNBC’s Kaela Ling contributed to this report.
Replace: This story has been up to date to replicate Model USA’s feedback to the funding cuts to its group.
