US Trips will Cost More for Indian Applicants from 2026
NEW DELHI, July 11: Indian applicants planning to visit the US for tourism, study, or work will face significantly higher visa costs starting 2026. A typical tourist visa, which used to cost under Rs 16,000, could now cost over Rs 40,000.
Under his “Big Beautiful Bill” that was signed on July 4, US President Donald Trump has introduced a new ‘Visa Integrity Fee’ of $250 for most non-immigrant visa categories. The US Visa Integrity Fee is a new $250 (Rs 21,400) non-refundable surcharge added to existing visa costs.
The new structure will come into effect from 2026 and will be mandatory at the time of visa issuance. The fee will be adjusted annually based on inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The fee applies to most non-immigrant visas, including B-1/B-2 (tourist and business visas), F and M (student visas), H-1B (work visas), and J (exchange visitor visas). Only diplomatic visa holders in categories A and G are exempted. For Indian travellers, this means that students, tech professionals, tourists, and business travellers to the US will all be impacted by the additional charge.
Currently, a US B-1/B-2 visa costs $185, which is over Rs 15,800. With the addition of the Visa Integrity Fee, along with other minor fees like the I-94 fee ($24) and ESTA fee ($13), the total cost will rise to about $472, or Rs 40,502.
This is over 2.5 times the current visa cost. For students or employees applying for visas like F or H-1B, the costs will also see a sharp rise. While the fee cannot be waived or reduced, it may be refunded under certain conditions. If the visa holder complies with all visa terms, such as leaving the US within five days after their visa expires or legally extending their stay or changing status (example – getting a green card), they may be eligible for a refund. If a person overstays or violates visa rules, the refund will not apply.
The US government has introduced this fee as a security measure to encourage lawful conduct among foreign nationals visiting the country. It is designed to act as a security deposit, incentivising visitors to follow the rules of their visa. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will manage this policy and has the power to revise the fee amount every year, based on inflation.
Apart from the Visa Integrity Fee, Trump’s 900-page Big Beautiful Bill also includes a one per cent excise tax on remittances, which will make it costlier for immigrants, including Indians in the US, to send money back home. This is a legislative effort to tighten immigration policies and increase revenue from foreign nationals living or working in the US.
(Manas Dasgupta)
