US Visa Fees Skyrocket: New $250 'Visa Integrity Fee' Hits Travellers from Thailand

Strategic Insights -

The recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act has introduced a $250 'visa integrity fee' for non-immigrant visas, effective October 1, 2025, increasing the total cost for a US visitor visa to $442. This new fee will disproportionately affect travellers from Thailand and other countries outside the US visa waiver list, potentially deterring future trips.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new $250 visa integrity fee will significantly increase the cost of obtaining a US non-immigrant visa, making it one of the most expensive worldwide, according to the US Travel Association.
  • The total cost for a US visitor visa will now be $442, with a $185 Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee and a $24 Form I-94 fee, in addition to the new visa integrity fee.
  • Thai families, with an average income of $600-$800 per month, may struggle to afford visa fees, which will add up to around $1,000 for a family of four considering a US holiday.
  • The US Travel Association warns that the new fee will boost upfront costs for US visits by 144%, a rise that alarms many in the industry.
  • Campaigns from groups like the US Travel Association are pushing back against the policy, arguing that it works against efforts to make the US more attractive to visitors.
  • International visitor spending in the US is expected to decline from $181 billion in 2024 to $169 billion in 2025, with the new fee likely to exacerbate this decline.
  • Thai students hoping to study in America will face increased costs, with a total of $600 ($350 SEVIS fee + $250 visa integrity fee) adding pressure to their already complex visa process.
  • Countries like India, China, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, and the Philippines are all affected in the same way, with millions of applicants each year.
  • An estimated $28.9 billion will be generated over a decade from the new fee, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Statistics:

  • The new $250 visa integrity fee will be in addition to the $185 MRV fee and $24 Form I-94 fee, making the total cost for a single application $442.
  • Thai families considering a US holiday will face visa fees of around $1,000, which is roughly 15-20 times their average monthly income.
  • The total income generated from the new fee over a decade is estimated to be $28.9 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
  • International visitor spending in the US is projected to decline by 7% from $181 billion in 2024 to $169 billion in 2025, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
  • A 1% drop in global visitor spending in the US leads to $1.8 billion less in revenue, with a potential 14% decline in 2025 costing up to $21 billion.

Sources:

  • "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (signed into law on July 4, 2025)
  • US Travel Association
  • Congressional Budget Office
  • World Travel and Tourism Council
  • US Embassy
  • Supaporn Chaiyasang, a travel agent in Bangkok
  • Erik Hansen, the US Travel Association's senior vice president of government relations
  • Geoff Freeman, US Travel Association president
  • Steven Brown, lawyer at Reddy Neumann Brown PC
  • Nattapong Srisuk, a potential master's student from Chiang Mai
  • Gabe Rizzi, president of global travel company Altour
  • Reddy Neumann Brown PC