New $250 US visa integrity fee takes effect, raising cost to $442

On 1 October 2026 the United States began charging a new $250 'visa integrity fee' on top of existing visa processing charges, raising the total cost of a B1/B2 visitor visa to about $442 for travellers from countries outside the Visa Waiver Program. The surcharge, created by Congress earlier in the year, applies to tourists, business visitors and students from major source markets including India, China, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, and is refundable only in narrow circumstances. Industry groups warned that the fee is now among the highest visitor charges in the world and risks deepening a slump in US arrivals already triggered by trade disputes, strong-dollar costs and tightened border rhetoric. The US Travel Association said the measure threatens tens of billions of dollars in spending ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the US, while consular posts in New Delhi, Mexico City and São Paulo braced for sharper booking drops. The story was the day's most-shared piece of travel policy news, framed as a direct tax on inbound tourism just as the US tries to attract World Cup visitors.