Pursuant to the “One Big Beautiful Act” signed into law on July 4, 2025, a new “visa integrity” fee of $250 will apply to every nonimmigrant visa (H-1B, L-1, O-1, F-1, J-1, B-1/B-2, etc.) issued by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), including dependent visas (H-4, L-2, F-2, J-2, etc.). This new fee will be in addition to existing visa application fees, reciprocity fees, and other charges, and is designed to be both a revenue generating scheme and compliance mechanism.  

 While yet to be implemented, the fee will apply only when a physical visa stamp is issued by a U.S. consulate abroad. It will not apply to cases filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), where an I-797 Approval Notice is issued. The one-time fee will only be charged upon successful visa issuance, so applicants whose visa requests are denied will not be charged the fee.  

The new fee provision also includes a potential refund of the “visa integrity” fee for those visa holders who fully comply with their visa terms. In addition to avoiding unauthorized employment, nonimmigrants must either depart the United States at the end of their authorized stay or timely apply for a lawful extension or adjustment of status to qualify for a refund. Details remain unclear about how refunds will be processed, but additional details are expected to be provided by the DOS in the near future. 

 Foster LLP will continue to follow developments impacting immigration costs and will provide additional information as it becomes available via our firm’s website at www.fosterglobal.com.