The New US Visa Integrity Fee: Who Pays, Can It Be Waived, Is It Refundable?

A new charge now attaches to most United States non-immigrant visas. It was created by legislation rather than by an agency rule, which makes it harder to change and harder to avoid. Here is what applicants need to understand.

Where does this come from?
It was created by Section 100007 of Public Law 119-21, enacted on 4 July 2025, and is codified at 8 U.S.C. section 1806. Because it sits in statute, it is not a discretionary administrative charge that a consulate can vary.

Collection began rolling out from the start of the 2026 fiscal year, on 1 October 2025, and implementation has continued through 2026.

Who has to pay it?
Any foreign national issued a non-immigrant visa. That is a very wide net: it covers B visitor visas, F student visas, H work visas, J exchange visas, L intra-company transfers, O visas and others.

If you are being issued a non-immigrant visa, assume it applies to you unless you have specific advice otherwise.

Is this instead of the existing visa fee?
No. This is the point applicants most often get wrong.

It is charged in addition to the existing visa application fees. It does not replace anything. An applicant who budgeted for the standard visa costs needs to add this on top.

Does the amount stay the same?
No. The statute sets a floor and allows the Department of Homeland Security to set a higher amount by rule. From the 2026 fiscal year onwards, it rises each fiscal year in line with inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Practically, that means a figure you read about last year is already out of date, and the amount you pay depends on when your visa is issued.

Can it be waived or reduced?
No. The statute is explicit that it cannot be waived or reduced. There is no hardship exemption, no student discount, and no category that escapes it.

Nobody can obtain a waiver, not an agency, not a lawyer, not a service, because there is no waiver to obtain. Any offer to secure one should be treated as a warning sign about whoever is making it.

Is it refundable?
Potentially, but conditionally, and the conditions matter.

Reimbursement is available where the traveller has fully complied with the conditions of their visa and either departed the United States on time or adjusted to another lawful status.

Note what that means in practice. It is not automatic, it is not immediate, and it is contingent on your conduct after the visa is issued. A traveller who overstays does not simply lose the possibility of reimbursement; they also face the standard consequences for future US travel, which are considerably more serious than the money.

Should I apply now or wait?
Waiting does not help. Because the amount is indexed to inflation and rises each fiscal year, delaying an application makes it more expensive rather than less.

What should applicants actually do?
Budget for it as a real cost of the trip, alongside the existing application fees, and check the current amount at the time you apply rather than relying on figures published when the law passed.

If reimbursement matters to you, keep clean evidence of your departure: boarding passes, entry and exit records, and anything establishing that you left within the authorised period.

And treat visa compliance as the financial issue it now is. Departing on time was always the right thing to do. It now also has a direct monetary consequence.

Verified against Public Law 119-21, Section 100007, as published by the US Government Publishing Office.