Planning to Apply for a U.S. Visa? Learn How to Avoid the New $250 Fee Starting in October.
- Murtaz Navsariwala
- Aug 6
- 4 min read
If you're planning to apply for a tourist or student visa to the United States in the coming months, this article is for you.
Starting October 1, 2025, the new Visa Integrity Fee will go into effect - an additional $250 fee applied to all non-immigrant visa applications.
The good news? You still have time to avoid this cost - and better yet: for some professional profiles, there may be a smarter and more strategic alternative than applying for a tourist visa.
Want to know what we’re talking about? Read this article to the end!
Table of Content
What is the Visa Integrity Fee?
The Visa Integrity Fee is a mandatory $250 fee that will be applied starting October 1, 2025, to all non-immigrant visa applications for the United States. This includes tourist visas (B-1/B-2), student visas (F-1/F-2), exchange programs (J), and temporary work visas (H, L, O, P, R, etc.).
This charge was approved under U.S. law via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1), signed in July 2025. Its main goal is to enhance immigration control and compliance.
According to the U.S. government, the funds from this new fee may be used to:
Improve immigration enforcement systems
Offer partial refunds to applicants who fully comply with visa conditions (such as departing the U.S. on time and not working illegally)
Reduce overstay rates (individuals who stay beyond their authorized period)
Who has to pay the Visa Integrity Fee?
The fee will apply to all non-immigrant visa applicants from countries that require a visa to enter the U.S., including Brazil, India, China, Mexico, and many others.
Exempt from the fee:
Citizens of countries under the Visa Waiver Program (e.g., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Japan, most of the EU)
Individuals with valid visas (unless they are renewing)
Even Visa Waiver countries still need to follow specific entry procedures, such as ESTA, which may carry their own costs.
In some cases there will be a refund - but with limitations.
The law states that a refund may be issued at the end of the visa’s validity period, if the applicant fully complies with all immigration requirements. However, it is still unclear how or when the refund will be issued, or which agency will handle it (Department of State or DHS).
In short: a refund is not guaranteed nor immediate, making this fee a real and relevant cost in the short term for anyone planning to travel in 2025.
How to Avoid the New $250 Fee?
The most effective way to avoid this fee is to apply for your visa before the end of September 2025.
Until September 30, applications are still subject to the current rules, without the $250 Visa Integrity Fee. That alone could mean major savings:
💡 Example:
A family of four applying for B-2 tourist visas after October would face an additional $1,000 just in Visa Integrity Fees.
But here’s something even smarter than rushing a tourist visa: a much more strategic long-term solution.
If you have a university degree, proven professional experience, and work in fields like:
Technology
Healthcare
Engineering
Education
Marketing
Environmental Science
Innovation
... then you should consider the EB2-NIW (National Interest Waiver) visa - a legal and permanent immigration path to the United States.
What is the EB2-NIW Visa?
The EB2-NIW is an employment-based immigrant visa that allows qualified professionals to obtain a Green Card without a job offer or financial investment.
Beyond avoiding temporary fees like the Visa Integrity Fee, this visa offers:
✅ Legal authorization to live and work in the U.S.
✅ The ability to include your spouse and children
✅ Freedom to build your career or business in the U.S.
✅ A path to permanent residency with less bureaucracy
It’s one of the most strategic ways to legally immigrate to the United States.
With the EB2-NIW, you can build a stable and legal life in the U.S. with your family - turning your professional journey into a structured and long-term immigration plan.
Wondering if this is the right path for you?
At Murtaz Law, we specialize in this type of case. With over 15 years of experience and a 99.5% approval rate, we’ve already helped hundreds of families and professionals achieve the dream of U.S. residency through strategic legal planning.
We’re ready to review your case and guide you safely through the best immigration path.
We’ll guide you with professionalism, strategy, and care to make your U.S. dream a legal and secure reality.
About Murtaz Law
With more than a decade of experience, we take pride in guiding families and individuals on their journey to legally immigrate to the USA, whether temporarily or permanently.
Our success story spans a variety of cases, including temporary immigration, family reunification, naturalization, and especially, work visas like the EB2-NIW, which leads to the Green Card. Over the years, we have built a solid reputation and become a reference for skilled professionals, artists, and elite athletes who wish to expand their careers or undertake ventures in the USA.
Our 99.5% approval rate in cases demonstrates our commitment to a personalized approach, combining ethics, creativity, and deep knowledge of the laws and economic issues. We recognize that each client has a unique story and work side by side, individually, to create tailored strategies that achieve the desired outcomes. We take the importance of our work in our clients' lives seriously. Your future deserves a unique strategy, and we at Murtaz Law have the experience and expertise to meet your immigration needs.
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