US Visa Fee Hike: Traveling to America Just Got Pricier for Indians

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): There is a big and worrying news for Indians dreaming of studying, traveling or working in America. The US has announced a major change in the visa rules and a new fee called 'Visa Integrity Fee', which can more than double the cost of the visa. This new rule is likely to come into effect from 2026 and will apply to almost all non-immigrant visa applicants, including tourists, students, and technology professionals.

What is 'One Big Beautiful Bill'?

According to reports, US President Donald Trump has signed a law called 'One Big Beautiful Bill' on July 4, 2025, under which this new fee has been introduced. According to this law, an additional 'visa integrity fee' of $250 (about Rs 21,400) will have to be paid for almost every non-immigrant visa. This fee will be charged as a kind of security deposit and it will be increased every year according to inflation, which means that this burden may increase even more in the future.

Which visa will be affected to what extent?

This new fee will apply to all major categories like B1/B2 (tourist/business), F/M (student), H1B (work) and J (exchange) visas. Only diplomatic (A and G category) visa holders will be exempted from this.

The effect of this increase will be that the B1/B2 visa fee, which is currently around $185 (around Rs 16,000), can reach around $472 (around Rs 40,456) including the new integrity fee and other fees (such as I-94 and ESTA fees). This is about two and a half times more than the current cost.

Will I get this fee back?

The government says that this visa integrity fee can be refunded under certain conditions. For this, the applicant has to leave the US within five days of the expiry of his visa and during this time he should not apply for visa extension or change of status. However, these conditions are quite strict, especially for those students and professionals whose visa is for many years. In such a situation, their large amount can remain stuck for a long time.

Indians will be most affected

The biggest impact of this decision will be on Indian students, tourists and IT professionals, who visit the US in lakhs every year. For students, who already bear the burden of tuition fees and heavy living expenses, this additional fee will be a big blow. Immigration consultants believe that due to this increase, people may turn to options like Canada, Australia or European countries.

Why was this fee imposed?

The Trump administration argues that this fee has been introduced to ensure compliance with visa rules and prevent illegal immigration. The government believes that this will prevent people from violating visa conditions. However, experts believe that this move will create a major financial barrier for ordinary people traveling legally, especially citizens of developing countries like India. After this announcement, there is also a possibility of a huge rush in visa applications by the end of 2025, as people will want to secure their visas before the new fees come into effect.