- New US immigration law raises Form I-94 issuance fee from $6 to $24, affecting mostly land border entrants.
- ESTA travellers from visa waiver countries will now pay at least $13 per authorisation, subject to yearly inflation reviews.
The United States (US) government has introduced a mandatory $250 visa integrity fee for all non-immigrant applicants entering the country.
The new charge is part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed under the administration of former US president, Donald Trump.
The legislation also gives the secretary of homeland security the authority to increase the fee above the $250 base.
Non-immigrant travellers who meet the terms of their visas may be eligible for reimbursement, according to the provisions of the new law.
These terms include avoiding unauthorised work, not requesting an extension of stay, and departing the US no later than five days after the visa expires.
Those who later obtain lawful permanent resident status may also qualify for a refund, though the procedures for claims are yet to be detailed.
The integrity fee is to be paid at the point of visa issuance, which means rejected applicants will not be charged.
Tourists, business visitors, and international students are expected to be the most impacted by the new US immigration fees.
The Act also increased the cost of obtaining Form I-94, a document issued by Customs and Border Protection to track a foreign national’s entry into the country.
While air and sea travellers usually receive electronic records, land border entrants are issued physical forms.
Currently priced at $6, the fee for Form I-94 will now rise to $24 per issuance under the new policy.
The affected traveller categories under this section of the law have not been fully clarified.
The bill further raised charges for the electronic system for travel authorisation (ESTA), widely used by citizens of visa waiver programme countries.
The new rule sets a minimum ESTA charge of $13 per travel request, subject to yearly adjustments based on inflation.
The changes will affect travellers from countries in Europe and Asia that participate in the visa waiver programme.
Other revised charges include those related to temporary protected status (TPS), asylum applications, humanitarian parole, and immigration court filings.
Under the new fees, TPS applicants are to pay $500 for the application, $550 for an initial employment authorisation document (EAD), and $275 for renewals.
Asylum seekers will pay $100 annually while their applications are pending, with EADs set at $550 for first-time issuance and $275 for renewals.
Humanitarian parole will now attract a $1,000 application fee, alongside EAD fees of $550 and $275 for new and renewed documents respectively.
Immigration court filing charges have also increased to $1,500 for status adjustments, $600 for removal cancellations, and $900 for appeals or motions.
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