The US travel landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation as new federal legislation introduces a host of sweeping fee hikes and stricter application requirements for international visitors. Stemming from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (HR-1), the changes, which began taking effect in September 2025, significantly increase the financial and logistical burden on nearly all non-US travelers, including tourists, students, and business professionals. At the heart of this overhaul are the introduction of a hefty, refundable Visa Integrity Fee for non-immigrant visa holders and a near-doubling of the cost for the ESTA authorization required by visa-exempt countries. Travel industry leaders have reacted with alarm, calculating that the added costs could boost the total expense of visiting the United States by over 140%, threatening to deter family travel and business tourism from key international markets.
The Visa Integrity Fee: A $250 Surcharge for Compliance
The most significant financial change for travelers requiring a traditional non-immigrant visa is the mandatory Visa Integrity Fee (VIF), set at $250 per applicant. This fee, which became effective on October 1, 2025, is a new addition to the existing suite of Department of State charges, which already include the Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee and various reciprocity fees.
The Visa Integrity Fee is designed to address the persistent problem of visa overstays and non-compliance with visa terms. The structure of the fee is highly unusual: it is intended to be refundable to the applicant upon the expiration of their visa period, provided they have demonstrated full compliance with the terms of their authorized stay. This mechanism is positioned as an incentive for foreign nationals to adhere strictly to the length and purpose of their visit. The fee applies to most non-immigrant visa categories, including tourist (B-1/B-2), student (F-1), and temporary work visas (H-1B), but notably exempts nationals from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries who travel under the ESTA system. The cumulative effect of the VIF and existing fees could see the total upfront cost for some tourist visas, such as those for Indian travelers, nearly tripling.
Near-Doubling of Costs for Visa Waiver Travelers
Even foreign nationals from the 42 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)—which includes most European nations, Australia, and Japan—are facing a significant financial increase. The fee for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which is mandatory for visa-free travel, has risen sharply from $21 to $40, effective September 30, 2025.
This increase of nearly 90% is the largest since the ESTA program’s inception and is explicitly mandated by the HR-1 legislation to generate additional revenue for US border security and immigration services. The new $40 fee is composed of three components: a travel promotion fee, an operational fee, and a new charge directed to the Treasury General Fund. While VWP travelers are exempt from the $250 Visa Integrity Fee, this substantial hike to the ESTA charge increases the barrier to entry for millions of tourists and business travelers who rely on the program for short-term stays. For families or large groups, the difference in the required payment has quickly become a significant budgetary concern.
Increases Across the Board: I-94 and EVUS Surcharges
The new legislation has also targeted lesser-known, yet essential, fees for specific traveler groups, signaling a comprehensive overhaul of border-related charges:
Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record): The fee for the I-94 form, which is typically required for foreign nationals entering the US at land borders from Canada or Mexico for extended stays, has increased dramatically from $6 to $30. This change primarily impacts travelers who frequently cross the northern and southern land borders for work or long-term personal visits.
EVUS Enrollment: The fee for the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS), required for Chinese citizens holding 10-year visitor visas, has also been introduced, set at $30 per enrollment.
These across-the-board increases confirm a clear strategic trend: the US government is moving toward a user-pays model to finance the vast expenses associated with its immigration processing and border enforcement operations, with costs often rising in proportion to inflation in subsequent years.
The Logistical Barrier: Mandatory In-Person Interviews
Beyond the financial adjustments, the new rules introduce a significant logistical hurdle by eliminating previous interview waiver exemptions for most non-immigrant visa applicants. Starting in September 2025, nearly all nonimmigrant visa applicants, including many seeking renewals, are now required to attend an in-person consular interview.
This change effectively eliminates previous exemptions for children under the age of 14 and adults over the age of 79, who were often allowed to apply without an interview. This strict new requirement will drastically increase wait times for visa appointments at US embassies and consulates worldwide, posing a major challenge for families and elderly travelers. Travel experts and consular affairs professionals predict that the backlog created by this mandate will further delay travel and impose additional planning and travel costs on applicants who must often travel long distances to attend their interviews.
Industry Opposition and Economic Concerns
The widespread increase in fees and the tightening of requirements have drawn sharp criticism from organizations like the U.S. Travel Association, which represents the national travel industry. Executives have stated that these changes constitute a “giant leap backwards” for US tourism competitiveness. The concern is that the drastic rise in upfront costs will disproportionately discourage family and group travel, leading travelers from non-VWP countries (like Brazil, India, and China) to choose competing destinations in Europe, Asia, or Canada where entry costs are lower. The industry fears that these new barriers will exacerbate an already struggling international tourism sector, jeopardizing US efforts to recover global market share following years of disruption.
