The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed by US President Donald Trump, includes a clause on a potential refund in the form of a "visa integrity fee". It will apply to student permits - and not only. The president described new visa conditions that require a new "visa integrity fee" to be paid when any nonimmigrant visa is issued, including F-1 and M-1 student visas and J-1 exchange visas. The preliminary minimum fee is $250. Foreigners will have a chance to get their money back after leaving the country if they can comply with all the laws and regulations during their stay in the United States. But now the mechanism for collecting fees has not been created, so it is not yet clear how it will be collected and which agency will receive it.
Other innovations for tourists:
- ESTA fee for visitors from visa-exempt countries will be $40,
- A $30 fee will be introduced for using the EVUS system, which issues visitor visas for Chinese citizens.
