Residents of the UAE planning to travel to the United States will soon be required to pay an additional fee when applying for nonimmigrant visas, Gulf News reported.
Under a new law—H.R. 1 or the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—signed into legislation, a Visa Integrity Fee of at least $250 will be imposed on all nonimmigrant visa applicants beginning fiscal year 2025. The amount may increase based on future regulations issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
The law makes it clear that this new charge is in addition to existing visa fees. Currently, the standard fee for most nonimmigrant visas, including the popular B1/B2 visa for business and tourism, is $185.
Starting in fiscal year 2026, the Visa Integrity Fee will also be adjusted annually based on inflation, using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the month of July in the previous year. The adjusted amount will be rounded down to the nearest dollar.
Despite its mandatory nature, the legislation allows for limited reimbursement. Visa holders may be eligible for a refund if they fully complied with all visa conditions, including leaving the U.S. on time, avoiding unauthorized work, or successfully obtaining a legal status adjustment during their stay.
However, the law also explicitly states that the fee cannot be waived or reduced under any circumstances. All collected amounts—excluding those refunded—will go directly into the U.S. Treasury’s general fund.
The newly mandated fee is expected to affect thousands of UAE-based travelers, including students, professionals, and tourists heading to the United States.
Gulf News noted that the U.S. government has also enacted stricter immigration and visa measures in recent years, including a suspension of visa services for nationals of countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Yemen. In addition, visa applicants are now required to make their social media accounts publicly viewable to aid in the U.S. government’s vetting process.
