Rollout details and timing of new “Visa Integrity Fee” remain unclear
Created earlier this year as a part of H.R. 1 (otherwise known as the One Big Beautiful Bill), a new “Visa Integrity Fee” would add a $250 charge to all approved nonimmigrant visas, in addition to any already existing application fees (pg. 300). The details of when this fee will go into effect and how it will be implemented, however, remain unclear.
Many news outlets are currently reporting that the fee will go into effect on October 1, but that is not a certainty and will most likely not be the case.
A July 22, 2025 Federal Register notice said that “the Visa Integrity Fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementing; the fee will be implemented in a future publication.” We have not heard any other official updates from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on implementation timing or process.
The Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, responsible for all visa issuance, also does not yet know when the fee will go into effect and what the details of implementation will look like. Senior Consular officials have told the Alliance that they have not received any details or guidance from DHS.
While media reports are indicating an October 1 implementation date, it’s possible that this misinformation is coming from reading the bill language inaccurately. The bill says that the initial amount of the fee “for fiscal year 2025” will be at least $250, so some might be inferring (incorrectly) that it means that the government will begin implementation on the first day of fiscal year 2026, which is October 1, 2025. But nowhere in the bill text does it indicate an October 1 effective date.
As the July 22 notice stated, there’s much “cross-agency coordination” that must happen before the fee is actually implemented. If the government happens to be able to do the necessary coordination and set up new systems before October 1, then the fee could theoretically start October 1. But the more likely scenario is that DHS will need more time, and the fee will be implemented further down the road, whenever the system is set up following the inter-agency coordination process.
An interesting wrinkle in this fee is that it is meant to be reimbursable. H.R.1 describes the $250 fee as applicable to all nonimmigrant visas and to be paid at the time the visa is issued. The bill also notes that visa holders will be reimbursed the $250 if they:
Complied with all conditions of the visa, including not accepting unauthorized employment;
Have not sought to extend admission and departed the U.S. no later than 5 days after the last day of the visa’s valid period; or were granted an extension or adjustment to the status of lawful permanent resident.
Like many other details, it’s unclear how a reimbursement of this fee might be processed. There is also no detail about how it would be applicable to visa holders changing status or what the five days means in the context of the 30-day grace period that comes with J-1 visas. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office1 in its cost estimate of H.R. 1 noted that it may take several years to implement a reimbursement process for this fee, creating more uncertainty about the timing of this system’s release.
The Alliance continues to seek information on all of these details about this new fee and will keep our members posted as soon as we know more.
