Written by Jonathan Aftalion, Esq. — Founding Attorney, Aftalion Law Group
(UCLA BA, Wisconsin JD, Witwatersrand LLM, dual CA + NY licensure, Super Lawyers Rising Stars)
In this blog, we'll explore:
Key Point:
- The visa integrity fee is a new charge on U.S. nonimmigrant visas created by the 2025 law known as H.R. 1, collected at the consulate when your visa is issued, on top of your regular visa fees.
- The law sets a minimum of $250 as the starting point, adjusted annually for inflation, so the exact amount depends on the fiscal year your visa is issued
- The law describes it as refundable if you follow every condition of your stay and depart on time, but no working system to claim that refund exists yet.
If you are budgeting for a U.S. visa, the visa integrity fee is the new line item catching people by surprise. It is separate from the visa application fee; it is larger than most of the other add-ons, and the refund that is supposed to come with it is not something you can count on yet. This guide gives you the amount, who pays, whether it touches immigrant visas like the IR-1, and the real story on refunds, with the law cited. At Aftalion Law Group, we help visa applicants plan for the full cost and avoid the compliance mistakes that would forfeit any future refund.
What is the US visa integrity fee, and when does it start?
Where the fee comes from
The visa integrity fee was created by Public Law 119-21, the 2025 law commonly called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The same law created a package of new immigration fees and requires them to be adjusted for inflation every year using the Consumer Price Index, which is why the visa integrity fee is not a fixed number for all time.
How and when it is collected
The fee is collected at the U.S. embassy or consulate when your nonimmigrant visa is approved and issued, not when you first apply, and it is charged in addition to the normal visa application processing fee. Implementation is still being stood up across agencies, so confirm whether it is being collected for your visa category and post, and at what current amount, before you travel. The figure moves with the annual inflation adjustment.
How much is the visa integrity fee?
The law sets the visa integrity fee at a minimum of $250 as its starting point. Because that law requires annual inflation adjustments, the amount you actually pay depends on the fiscal year your visa is issued and may be higher than $250. There is no waiver: unlike some filing fees, you cannot request a reduction or a fee waiver for the integrity fee. Before you pay, confirm the current figure for your fiscal year, since published amounts change each year with inflation.
Who has to pay the visa integrity fee?
Nonimmigrant visa applicants
The fee applies to people issued a U.S. nonimmigrant visa, which covers most temporary categories: visitors (B-1/B-2), students (F-1, M-1), exchange visitors (J-1), and temporary workers (H-1B, L-1), among others. Dependents issued their own nonimmigrant visas, such as H-4 or L-2 spouses and children, are also charged. For how temporary work visas fit the bigger picture, see our Visa Processing overview.
Who is exempt
As reported, travelers who enter under the Visa Waiver Program using ESTA do not pay, because they are not issued a physical visa, and immigrant visa applicants do not pay this nonimmigrant fee. Confirm the full exemption list against the statute and any DHS or State Department guidance before relying on an exemption, since the detailed carve-outs are still being operationalized.
Does the visa integrity fee apply to the IR-1 visa and other immigrant visas?
No. The visa integrity fee is a nonimmigrant visa fee, and the IR-1 visa, the immigrant visa for the spouse of a U.S. citizen, is an immigrant visa, so it is not subject to this fee. The same logic applies to other immigrant visa categories, such as other immediate-relative and family-preference immigrant visas: they carry their own immigrant visa fees, not the nonimmigrant integrity fee. If your path is family-based and immigrant rather than temporary, this particular fee should not apply to you. Our Visa Processing team can confirm which fees attach to your specific category.
Can you get the visa integrity fee refunded?
This is the part the news coverage tends to bury.
Conditions for a refund
The law treats the integrity fee as refundable, but only if you fully comply with the terms of your visa: you do not overstay, you do not work without authorization, and you depart the United States on time. In other words, the fee is designed as a compliance deposit, refundable to people who follow the rules and leave when they are supposed to.
How to document compliance
As reported, the government has not yet set up a working process to actually claim these refunds, so for now you should treat the fee as a cost, not a deposit you will easily get back. Keep clean records anyway: your visa and I-94, proof of timely departure such as boarding passes and entry and exit records, and evidence you maintained status throughout. If and when a refund process goes live, that documentation is what will support your claim. Confirm the exact refund conditions and process against the statute and official guidance before relying on them.
What should visa applicants do now?
- Budget for it. Add the integrity fee to your expected visa costs, on top of the application fee, and use the current year’s amount.
- Confirm the number. Check the current figure for your fiscal year rather than assuming $250, because it adjusts annually.
- Protect a future refund. Follow every condition of your visa, avoid any overstay or unauthorized work, and keep proof of timely departure.
- Get advice if your case is not simple. If you hold or are switching between categories, or you are weighing a nonimmigrant versus an immigrant path, the fee is one of several moving parts worth mapping first.
Plan for the Visa Integrity Fee Before You Pay at the Consulate
The visa integrity fee is new, non-waivable, and larger than most visa add-ons, and the refund that is supposed to soften it is not something you can rely on yet. Aftalion Law Group helps visa applicants in Los Angeles and nationwide budget for the full cost, confirm which fees apply to their category, and stay compliant so a future refund stays possible. If you are preparing for a consular appointment, schedule a consultation at no cost or call (424) 270-6767 before you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
In theory yes, if you fully comply with your visa terms and leave on time, but there is no working process to claim the refund yet, so treat it as a cost for now.
Yes. It applies to most nonimmigrant visas, including the B-1/B-2 visitor visa, and is collected when the visa is issued.
No. It is a nonimmigrant visa fee, so immigrant visas like the IR-1 are not subject to it; those carry their own immigrant visa fees.
No. As reported, there is no fee waiver or reduction for the integrity fee, unlike some USCIS filing fees.
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Trusted Resources
- Public Law 119-21 (2025), the statute that created the visa integrity fee: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1
- DHS/USCIS, H.R. 1 immigration fee inflation adjustment notices (Federal Register): https://www.federalregister.gov
- U.S. Department of State, Fees for Visa Services: https://travel.state.gov
This article is attorney advertising and general information, not legal advice for your situation. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Aftalion Law Group.