Traveling To The U.S.? New 'Visa Integrity Fee' Will Cost $250, And Up To $15,000 With Bonds

[dalton99a]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dougmelville/2025/09/07/traveling-to-the-us-new-visa-integrity-fee-will-cost-250-and-up-to-15000-with-bonds/

Traveling To The U.S.? New ‘Visa Integrity Fee’ Will Cost $250, And Up To $15,000 With Bonds
By Doug Melville
Sep 07, 2025, 10:11am EDT

How much is a visit to America worth to you?

Well, it depends on who you are and where you are traveling from.

On August 20, 2025, the US State Department launched a one-year Visa Bond Pilot Program, requiring certain applicants for B-1/B-2 visitor visas to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. While the bond is refundable, the goal is to assess and observe the effectiveness in deterring overstays.

Beginning October 1, 2025, a recently enacted domestic policy, which calls for a “visa integrity fee,” is expected to increase the cost of entering the US for most non-immigrant visas. The price tag of $250 will affect many of the seventy-two million visitors who enter the US each year, although some countries will be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program.

With the US set to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, industry leaders worry that higher costs and added bureaucracy could deter fans, students, and tourists alike from making the trip, simply pushing visitors — and their dollars — elsewhere.

The US Travel Association called the fee a “giant leap backwards” that could discourage millions of potential visitors from coming.

“This fee, which will be at least $250 and comes on top of existing visa fees, adds an unnecessary financial barrier for international visitors,” said Erik Hansen, SVP of government relations at the association. Pushing the upfront cost of visiting the US up to 144% under the new rules.

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[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Radical ideology over mainstream practicality. Won't help the economy or his poll numbers. . . . nt