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New US ‘Visa Integrity Fee’ of $250 Comes into Effect, Adding Cost for Some Canadian Travellers By Our North America Correspondent The United States has implemented a new US250(approximatelyCA350) "Visa Integrity Fee" (VIF), adding a significant financial layer to the cost of non-immigrant visas, a measure that is now officially in effect and primarily impacts Canadian Permanent Residents and citizens traveling for specific work or family purposes. The fee, which began collection on 1 October, is part of a sweeping package of immigration and border security measures signed into law earlier this year under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). While the majority of Canadian citizens who travel to the US for short-term tourism or business remain exempt, officials in Washington contend the new charge is a vital tool for ensuring compliance with visa terms and reducing the incidence of overstays. Mechanism and Intent The Visa Integrity Fee is levied on individuals globally who are required to obtain a non-immigrant visa at a US embassy or consulate before travel. This includes common visa classes such as F-1 for students, H-1B for specialised workers, and E-2 for treaty investors, among others. Crucially, the fee is mandatory, non-waivable, and is imposed in addition to existing processing charges, such as the Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) application fee, which itself stands at US$185 for most categories. US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials state the primary goal of the VIF is to incentivise compliance. The fee is designed to be potentially refundable to the traveller, provided they fully adhere to all conditions of their visa—including departing the US no later than five days after their authorized stay expires or successfully adjusting to lawful permanent residence status. "This fee represents a fundamental shift towards a compliance-driven funding model for border security," stated a DHS spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing implementation phase. "By tying the potential refund directly to adherence to the terms of stay, the government is reinforcing the integrity of our national immigration system and deterring misuse of non-immigrant status. " Disproportionate Canadian Impact While Canadian citizens are generally exempt from needing a non-immigrant visa for standard tourist visits of up to six months, the new fee has drawn criticism from groups in Canada representing individuals and families engaged in more complex cross-border activities.
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The segment of the Canadian population most affected are the estimated 1. 5 million Permanent Residents who hold non-Canadian passports. Unlike Canadian citizens, most Permanent Residents require a non-immigrant visa (such as a B-2 tourist visa) to enter the US for any purpose, and they are now subject to the VIF. For a family of four Canadian Permanent Residents applying for tourist visas, the integrity fee alone adds a cost of US$1,000, not including existing application fees. Furthermore, Canadian citizens who apply for specific visas—such as K-1 visas for fiancés of US citizens, or E-category visas for traders and investors—must also remit the $250 charge. Rosanna Berardi, an immigration lawyer based in Buffalo, New York, highlighted the complexities for Canadian border communities. "For Canadian citizens who are simply snowbirds or doing a weekend shop, this changes nothing, they are visa-exempt and safe," Ms Berardi said in a recent statement to Canadian media. "However, for those Canadians who are sponsoring a partner, working on a specialised visa, or are Canadian Permanent Residents, this is a very tangible increase in the cost of entry, which is already a significant financial burden. " The Refund Controversy A central point of contention surrounding the VIF is the mechanism, or lack thereof, for reimbursement. While the law stipulates the fee may be refunded upon compliance, the Department of State (DOS) and DHS have yet to finalise a clear, publicly accessible process for applying for and receiving the funds. Analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) suggests that due to the long validity periods of many non-immigrant visas and the bureaucratic timeline needed to establish a functional refund system, the US Treasury is expected to retain billions of dollars in collected fees that are never successfully reimbursed to travellers.
CBO projections suggest the policy could generate an estimated US$2. 7 billion annually. Industry bodies have been vocal about the potential deterrent effect. Terry Dale, president and CEO of the U. S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA), expressed concerns that the measure undermines efforts to welcome international visitors. "Traveling to the U. S. is already seen by many as complicated and expensive, and adding a mandatory $250 fee, even if refundable, only reinforces that perception," Mr Dale told analysts last month. "At a time when we need a welcoming message to bolster our travel industry, this visa 'integrity' fee may inadvertently encourage tourists and business travellers to choose alternative destinations. " The VIF is one component of a broader fee overhaul.
The new legislation also mandated an increase in the fee for the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, frequently paid by Canadians entering for business or work, rising from US6toUS24. The fee for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for Visa Waiver Program countries has also seen an increase. As of early October, the implementation details remain subject to inter-agency coordination between the DOS and DHS. Travellers and legal counsel are being advised to factor the non-refundable nature of the fee into their current immigration budgeting, pending the establishment of a robust refund system. The fee is set to increase annually based on inflation beginning in Fiscal Year 2026. You can find more background on the new fee structure and its impact on tourism in the US here: New $250 Visa Integrity Fee Will Soon Apply to Most U. S. Tourists!!.
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