What to know about the new travel fee to enter US

Visitors to the United States will have to pay a “visa fee”, according to the provision of the recently accepted Trump administration A big beautiful billS

The fee applies to all visitors who need non -migrant visas to log in and cannot be canceled.

However, travelers may also be able to recover the fees, according to the provision.

Details of the new requirement are scarce, resulting in “significant challenges and unanswered questions about implementation,” said a spokesman for the American Travel Association Travel of CNBCS

However, here is what has been known so far.

How much is the fee?

The fee will be at least $ 250 in the US fiscal 2025, which lasts from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. However, the internal security secretary is free to determine the fee higher, according to the provision.

The visa integrity fee will then be adjusted for inflation.

Who should pay the new fee?

The Visa Integrity fee applies to all visitors who need non -migrant visas that include tourists, business travelers and international students.

When is the fee paid?

The fee is paid when the visa is issued, according to the provision. In this way, visitors whose visas requests have been denied will not be charged.

Does the fee replace other visa fees?

No, the provision states that the new fee is “in addition to” other fees, including regular visa fees.

“For example, the H-1B worker, who already pays a $ 205 application fee, may expect to pay a total of $ 455 after this fee is available,” writes Stephen A. Brown, a partner at Houston-based Immigration Law Firm in a publication On the website of his company.

In addition, the fee must be paid on ‘I-94’ fee, which one act of Big Beautify Bill increased from $ 6 up to $ 24. This fee must be paid by Anyone obliged to send form I-94 arrival and recording of departurewhich applies to most passengers.

How can the travelers receive Recovered?

In order to recover their money, visa holders must comply with the conditions of the visa, which includes “does not accept (ing) unauthorized employment” rather than replay the date of validity of the visa by more than five days, according to provision.

The recovery will take place after the travel visa expires, the message said.

It is also unclear how passengers will pay the fee, said the American Travel Association to CNBC.

“The bill directs the DHS secretary to charge the fee, but DHS does not have a visa application, issuance or renewal – so where and when will DHS collect the fee?” said the spokesman.

In response to CNBC inquiries, a spokesman for the Ministry of Homeland Security said: “The visa fee requires interdiary coordination before application.”

More questions surround how and when the recovery process started.

As many visas are valid for several years, The US Congress Budget Office said He expects a “small number of people to look for a recovery.”

Moreover, “CBO expects that the State Department will need a few years to implement a refund process. On this basis, CBO estimates that acceptance of the provision will increase revenue and reduce the deficit by $ 28.9 billion for the period 2025-2034.”

Brown said he advised clients to treat the fee as non -refundable.

“If you return it, great. But it’s usually difficult to return the money from the government,” he said. “I would rather view it as a” bonus “if they get the recovery.”

“A large beautiful bill of President Trump provides the necessary policies and resources to restore integrity in our country’s immigration system,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Homeland Security told CNBC.

Data It shows most visa holders comply with their visa conditions. For fiscal years between 2016 and 2022, between 1% -2% of non -immigrants visit their visas to the United States, according to the US Congress Research Service.

However, approximately 42% of approximately 11 million unauthorized population living in the United States have entered the country legally, but exceeded the period of acceptance, data show.

Brown said the visa integrity fee is likely to influence B Visa Holders – Or free time and business travelers – and international students more than other types of passengers.

“For B Visa holders, they may not want to add an additional $ 250 per person to their travel expenses,” he said.

The new fee, plus the I-94 fee, comes when the United States is preparing to host several major events in 2026, including The Holidays “America 250”in honor of the 250th anniversary of the country and Parts of the FIFA World CupS

These obstacles are complicated by problems at Brand USA, a marketing organization for a destination that encourages incoming trips to the United States, which shows that a Big Beaulit Bill act is reducing its $ 100 million to $ 20 million funding.

The abbreviations came after the US trading department fired nearly half of the Board of the United States in April.

In a statement, Fred Dixon, the president and executive director of the organization, said he was “disappointed” by the abbreviations, but the hope that the funds would be restored for the fiscal year 2026.

“We remain focused on the growing legitimate internationally entry trips and the vital impetus it provides to the US economy,” he said.

Prior to the adoption of the law as a large beautiful bill, the chairman and CEO of the US US Association Jeff Freeman praise the contribution of the bill For us, infrastructure, air traffic control and border security.

But he added: “Smart investments in the travel process make stupid new fees for foreign visitors and the US brand, America Promotion Arm, the more difficult to swallow.”

– Cael Ling from CNBC has contributed to this report.

Update: This story has been updated to reflect brand US comments to the cuts in financing its organization.