USA Hikes Again: Indian Visa Aspirants Beware!

The President of United States, Donald Trump has been taking every possible measure to increase the work order and financial stress on the Indian community, and he is back at it again.

The United States has announced a new $250 “visa integrity fee” for travelers from non-visa waives countries such as India, China, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.

This additional fee will come into effect on October 1, 2025, and will apply to most non-immigrant visa categories, including tourist visas (B1/B2), student visas (F-1), exchange visitor visas (J-1), and temporary worker visas (H-1B and others).

Importantly, this fee is not a replacement but an extra charge on top of existing visa costs. For example, the current MRV (Machine Readable Visa) application fee of $185 will remain, and with the new $250 charge, the total cost of applying for a U.S. visa will rise to around $442.

This makes the American visa one of the costliest in the world for applicants from the affected countries.

The move has raised concerns within the travel and tourism industry. Experts warn that the additional cost could discourage international travelers, especially students and tourists, from choosing the U.S. as their destination.

Already, U.S. international arrivals fell by 3.1% in July 2025, marking the fifth straight month of decline. Industry groups have criticized the fee, calling it a “barrier” that could further harm tourism and small businesses.