Since President Donald Trump’s return to office, tourism to the United States has seen a sharp decline, leading many potential international visitors to choose alternative destinations, which is negatively impacting the U.S. economy.
In May’s analysis of 184 countries, the U.S. was the sole nation identified by the World Travel & Tourism Council as experiencing a decrease in visitor expenditure in 2025. The WTTC projected a $12.5 billion drop from the previous year, but Forbes suggested the actual deficit from 2025’s anticipated growth could be nearer to $25 billion.
Additional fees imposed on visitors could further discourage travel.
On July 4, President Trump signed the Republican Party’s extensive tax-and-spending legislation, known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” into law. This bill includes various stipulations that modify the fees required for immigrants and visitors entering the U.S.
For tourists, the most significant change is a new “visa integrity fee” starting at $250, payable by “any foreign national receiving a nonimmigrant visa upon its issuance.” The bill specifies that this fee is non-waivable and non-reducible, and will be adjusted for inflation in subsequent years.
A State Department representative informed TIME that Congress implemented the visa integrity fee “to back the administration’s goals of enhancing immigration enforcement, discouraging visa overstays, and funding border security.” The spokesperson added that the Department of Homeland Security is “responsible for implementing this fee,” with a distinct DHS spokesperson indicating that the fee “necessitates inter-agency coordination prior to its execution.”
Who will be required to pay the visa integrity fee?
Categories for nonimmigrant visas encompass tourists, business visitors, temporary laborers, students, and others. State Department data indicates that roughly 1 million nonimmigrant visas have been issued monthly this year, even amidst the Trump Administration’s heightened border enforcement.
Visitors exempt from U.S. visa requirements, such as most citizens from as well as nationals of participating countries, will not be subject to the visa integrity fee.
Will the visa integrity fee be refunded?
The bill states that the Secretary of Homeland Security “has the option to provide a reimbursement” for the visa integrity fee after the nonimmigrant visa expires, provided the visa holder adhered to all its terms and either “did not attempt to extend their admission period during its validity and departed the U.S. within 5 days of that period’s end” or “was granted an extension of their nonimmigrant status or an adjustment to lawful permanent resident status during that period.”
However, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, in its May analysis of the bill’s immigration fee clauses, projected that “only a small number of individuals would apply for reimbursement.” The CBO clarified this by noting that “many nonimmigrant visas remain valid for multiple years, meaning a significant portion of nonimmigrants would not qualify for reimbursement until several years post-payment.” Furthermore, “the Department of State would require several years to establish a reimbursement process.”
Steven Brown, a partner at Reddy Neuman Brown PC, an immigration law firm based in Texas, remarked in a July 15 blog post that the clause for a compliance-dependent refund represents “an unusual concept within immigration fee frameworks.” He elaborated that the purpose “is to encourage adherence to U.S. immigration laws by treating the $250 as a refundable security deposit, effectively compensating those who abide by the regulations.”
Nevertheless, Brown warned that “the legislation omits several crucial specifics,” such as who will assess compliance and what paperwork will be necessary to begin the refund procedure. He wrote, “It is vital to understand that the refund is not automatic. The responsibility will probably rest with the visa holder to demonstrate compliance and actively request the refund via a future process that DHS has yet to outline.” Consequently, until then, prospective payers of the visa integrity fee should consider it “a non-refundable initial expense and make their arrangements accordingly.”
What other fees are charged?
The visa integrity fee is in addition to existing charges for U.S. travelers, including fees that vary from $185 to $205 based on the specific nonimmigrant visa category.
Even citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program are required to pay fees of $21, which Trump’s bill almost doubles to $40.
Furthermore, Trump’s legislation increases the fee—for the arrival-departure record mandated by Customs and Border Protection—from $6 to $24.
The CBO’s assessment projected that the new visa integrity fee, along with increased ESTA and Form I-94 fees, would collectively reduce the deficit by over $40 billion in the coming decade. Conversely, Trump’s comprehensive bill is anticipated to inflate the deficit by more than $4 trillion within the identical timeframe.
The U.S. Travel Association, a non-profit organization advocating for the national travel sector, expressed a mixed response to the bill earlier this month.
USTA President and CEO Geoff Freeman stated, “This legislation represents a significant advancement in enhancing America’s travel infrastructure and security,” highlighting investments in modernizing air-traffic control, increasing customs personnel, deploying biometric entry-exit technology, and preparing for major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
However, Freeman criticized the U.S.’s official destination marketing organization, along with the numerous elevated fees imposed on tourists.
Freeman commented, “Increasing fees for legitimate international visitors is akin to imposing a self-inflicted tariff on one of our nation’s primary exports: spending by international travelers.” He added, “These charges are not reinvested in enhancing the travel experience and only serve to deter visitation at a time when foreign travelers are already apprehensive about the reception and high costs.”