US visitors to pay extra visa fee of S$320 with new Trump policy

The United States will now require international visitors to pay a new 'visa integrity fee' of at least US$250 (around S$320), on top of existing visa application costs, according to a provision in U.S. President Donald Trump's recently enacted domestic policy bill.

According to CNN, the fee applies to visitors who are required to obtain non-immigrant visas to enter the U.S.

These visitors include leisure and business travellers, international students and other temporary visitors.

CNN reported that according to State Department figures, the U.S. issued nearly 11 million non-immigrant visas in the fiscal year 2024.

The fee will apply for the fiscal year 2025, which began on Oct. 1 2024, and ends on Sep. 30 2025.

The fee is also subject to adjustments for inflation.

Singaporeans travelling to the U.S. may be exempt from the fee

Tourists and business travellers from countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Programme, including Singapore, South Korea and other European countries, are not required to obtain visas for stays of 90 days or less, CNN reported.

Payment will be required at the time visas are issued and the fee will not be waived.

Travellers who do not overstay their time or participate in unauthorised work while in the U.S. may have their fees reimbursed after their trip is over, according to the provision.

The fee may be refunded

In a recent post, immigration attorney Steven A. Brown, a partner at Houston-based Reddy Neumann Brown PC, described the fee as a "refundable security deposit", CNN reported.

However. "the mechanism for obtaining a refund is still unclear" and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the agency instituting the fee, has yet to offer any details regarding the refund process or any other aspects of the policy's rollout.

A State Department spokesperson explained that the fee was established "to support the administration's priorities of strengthening immigration enforcement, deterring visa overstays, and funding border security".

According to Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act', the fees that are not reimbursed will be "deposited into the general fund of the Treasury".

Any details related to the new visa fee will be posted on the State Department's visa information page.

New visa fee is "a giant leap backwards"

CNN reported that the U.S. Travel Association, which is a national non-profit organisation aimed at increasing travel to and within the U.S. has called the new visa fee "a giant leap backwards".

The senior vice president of government relations for the association, Erik Hansen, said in a statement that the fee "adds an unnecessary financial barrier for international visitors".

The association further estimates that with the imposition of the fee, the "upfront costs" of visiting the U.S. would increase by 144 per cent.

Hansen also added that that even if the fee can be reimbursed, "the added complexity and cost will discourage visitors".

Top photo via Canva