(INDIA) The United States will introduce new visa surcharges on a wide range of non-immigrant visa applications from India and several Asian countries starting in late 2025, with a sweeping $250 Visa Integrity Fee due from January 1, 2026, and a separate $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions from September 21, 2025. The changes, described as cost-recovery measures, will sharply raise costs for Indian students, skilled workers, visiting families and U.S. employers, and are timed to a phased rollout from late 2025 through 2026.
The Department of State’s plan covers applicants from India, Japan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other partner nations. The new visa surcharges sit on top of existing fees and are intended to fund enhanced security screening, a digital overhaul of visa systems, and reciprocity adjustments with countries that charge U.S. citizens higher visa fees. The Integrity Fee applies to almost all non-immigrant visa categories — including B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F-1 student visas, J-1 exchange visas, M-1 vocational visas, and employment categories such as H-1B and L-1 — while the $100,000 charge targets only new H-1B petitions and must be paid by the sponsoring employer.
For Indians planning U.S. travel in 2026, the price jump will be immediate and visible. A standard tourist, student or exchange visa that today carries an application fee of $185 will, from January 1, 2026, also carry the $250 Integrity Fee, plus add-ons like a $24 I-94 fee and $13–$30 for ESTA or EVUS where applicable. The total crosses $472 per applicant before any service or courier charges, and that does not include SEVIS costs for students or any local appointment fees. The Department of State has signaled that surcharges could vary by country and visa class in a band of $50–$200 in earlier planning documents, but the Integrity Fee level cited for 2026 is fixed at $250.
The timing matters. U.S. officials have set a clear cut-off: visa applications and payments made on or after January 1, 2026, will attract the Integrity Fee. Those paid before December 31, 2025, remain exempt, even if the interview or travel date falls in 2026. As The Economic Times reported:
“The fee is locked in at the time of application payment, not travel date.”
The paper also noted:
“The US says it’s to ensure visa compliance. Indians can save money by applying before 2026.”
For employers hiring Indian professionals, the headline change is the $100,000 charge on new H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025. This one-time fee is due for initial petitions only and, according to official guidance, does not apply to extensions, amendments, changes of status or stays, or to those already holding valid H-1B visas. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said:
“The new fee applies to beneficiaries who are outside of the U.S. and do not have a valid H-1B visa. The fee does not apply to any previously issued and current H-1B visas and does not prevent current H-1B holders from traveling within the U.S. or abroad. It also does not apply to those requesting an amendment, change of status or a stay extension.”
The agency added that requests for an exception must show national interest, that no qualified U.S. worker is available, and that paying the fee would undermine the national interest. Employers weighing India-based hires will now need to factor in this $100,000 outlay alongside prevailing wage rules, anti-fraud fees, and attorney costs — pressure that could tilt staffing decisions toward remote roles or postings in Canada 🇨🇦 and other hubs.
The Integrity Fee sits within a wider U.S. reset on visa funding. Officials describe it as a cost-recovery tool aimed at “enhanced security screening,” new digital infrastructure, and reciprocity adjustments. U.S. lawmakers have also framed it as a deterrent, with supporters calling it a safeguard for the system and a way to improve compliance. As The Indian Express pointed out:
“This $250 surcharge is part of Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ signed on July 4, 2025.”
The government’s rollout plan identifies a first phase in late 2025 and full application during 2026, with a focus on high-volume posts across South and East Asia.
For Indian students, the financial squeeze comes on top of tuition inflation and housing costs in the U.S. An F-1 applicant in 2026 will face the $250 Integrity Fee plus existing visa and SEVIS charges, and may be asked to show slightly higher proof of funds before departure. Exchange scholars on J-1 and trainees on M-1 could see additional documentation and processing fees. Some applicants may also face longer wait times as consulates absorb new screening and payment checks. The cumulative effect is not only higher upfront outlays, but also a tighter calendar for those planning spring or fall intake. Advisers expect a rush to apply before year-end to avoid the Integrity Fee, followed by a quieter patch and then new surges around academic cycles.
Families planning short trips say the math adds up quickly. Boundless, an immigration services firm, offered a stark example:
“A single tourist visa for a family of four, for example, could now include $1,000 in visa integrity fees alone.”
In practical terms, a four-person B-1/B-2 application in 2026 would stack the $250 Integrity Fee per traveler on top of existing charges, plus any add-ons for delivery or premium scheduling. For non-resident Indians renewing visas or arranging travel for parents, the advice is plain:
“apply in 2025 to avoid the $250 Integrity Fee,” The Economic Times reported.
The policy architecture also includes a refund rule with tight limits. The Integrity Fee is described as non-refundable unless the traveler either leaves the U.S. within five days after visa expiry or legally adjusts status — for example, by obtaining permanent residence — in which case a refund may be available. Overstays or status violations void any refund. These conditions mean most Indian visitors and students will need to view the $250 as a sunk cost when budgeting for U.S. travel in 2026.
Skilled workers and tech employers face the biggest strategic shifts. For a new H-1B hire from India, the $100,000 charge lands before salary, relocation and benefit costs. The rule covers initial petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025, and, according to USCIS, excludes those already inside the U.S. seeking amendments, changes of status or extensions. Industry managers are bracing for hard choices about where roles are based and who pays. As Boundless put it:
“Employers may need to decide whether to cover the new fee as part of a benefits package or leave it to the employee.”
In reality, U.S. law generally requires H-1B employers to bear certain filing costs, and any shifting of fees to workers triggers compliance risks — a point companies will need to cross-check against their counsel.
The government’s rationale blends cost-recovery with security and diplomacy. Officials say the Integrity Fee will help pay for AI-enabled background checks, faster biometrics and a digital overhaul of legacy systems, while responding to record travel demand after the pandemic. Reciprocity is a pillar too, with U.S. agencies signaling they will calibrate fees to align with what Americans face abroad. South Asia sits in the center of this recalibration: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are listed among the target regions for the 2025–2026 implementation, with “moderate fee hikes” and “increased scrutiny” anticipated. In East Asia — including Japan and the Philippines — adjustments are framed around reciprocity without major new restrictions.
For Indian families and businesses, the planning checklist is straightforward and time-bound. The most immediate lever is the calendar. Paying visa fees before December 31, 2025, ensures the Integrity Fee does not apply, and filing any new H-1B petition before September 21, 2025, avoids the $100,000 charge. Budgeting buffers of $200–$250 per person for 2026 itineraries now looks prudent, and students are being advised to lock in interviews early to sidestep bottlenecks as the new pricing bites. Several advisers are also telling applicants to compare study and work options in Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand or the EU given rising U.S. costs, though the U.S. remains the top destination for Indian students and high-skilled workers despite the affordability gap.
India’s government may pursue talks on reciprocity or seek carve-outs, according to policy watchers, but as of October 2025 there were no exemptions for Indian nationals in the public material. The diaspora impact could ripple through university choices and corporate staffing. If even a fraction of H-1B hiring shifts toward remote or third-country hubs, Indian IT services firms and start-ups will need to recalibrate on-site placements, while mid-sized employers weigh whether to absorb the $100,000 or redesign roles. At the individual level, the new fees could push some candidates to delay or switch plans — for instance, taking an offer in Canada’s tech corridors rather than entering the U.S. pipeline in 2026.
The rollout will test administrative capacity. Consulates will need to update payment systems, receipts, and appointment workflows to capture the Integrity Fee, while ensuring that pre-2026 payers are not wrongly charged. The Department of State’s network will also be under pressure to explain the refund rules and manage expectations around wait times. USCIS, for its part, will process exception requests to the $100,000 H-1B fee on national interest grounds. The bar is high: applicants must show the role serves the national interest, that no qualified U.S. worker is available, and that paying the fee would undermine that interest — a standard that suggests few waivers.
In India, travel planners and student advisers are urging applicants to stick to official sources rather than social media rumors. The Integrity Fee is “non-refundable” in most cases; the timing of payment fixes whether it applies; and only certain categories have potential exceptions. Applicants can monitor agency updates through official portals such as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ H-1B page at USCIS: H-1B Specialty Occupations, which also outlines general H-1B eligibility, employer responsibilities, and filing mechanics.
Several details round out the 2026 picture. Digital nomads and freelancers traveling under B-1 or through partner-country visa waiver schemes face indirect effects as reciprocity adjustments cascade through partner systems, even if they are not paying H-1B-level charges. Exchange visitors and trainees on J-1 and M-1 may see added documentation costs tied to program sponsors. Tourists and visiting families should watch for appointment scarcity as applicants rush to pay before year-end deadlines. And while some early planning documents referenced surcharges that could vary between $50 and $200 by country and class, the Integrity Fee cited in public summaries sits at $250, non-refundable except under the narrow conditions described.
What will not change in 2026 is demand. The U.S. continues to attract Indian students to its universities and Indian professionals to its tech and research hubs. But affordability is moving the goalposts. For a middle-class family in Bengaluru planning a first U.S. visit, the Integrity Fee alone is now a four-figure line item if four travelers apply together. For a Hyderabad start-up considering a U.S. on-site role, the $100,000 H-1B charge can be the difference between hiring in the United States and building a team in Toronto or keeping the role remote. As Boundless observed:
“Employers may need to decide whether to cover the new fee as part of a benefits package or leave it to the employee.”
The message from agencies and advisers is consistent: act early, budget more, and expect tighter screening as cost-recovery takes hold. Applications paid before December 31, 2025, are exempt from the $250 Integrity Fee, and new H-1B petitions filed before September 21, 2025, avoid the $100,000 charge. For everyone else, the new regime will reshape the price of entry to the United States — from students bearing higher upfront costs and financial proof, to tourists recalculating a family holiday, to employers confronting whether a U.S.-based hire still makes sense in 2026.
This Article in a Nutshell
The U.S. will implement a $250 Visa Integrity Fee on most non-immigrant visas for payments from January 1, 2026, and a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions filed from September 21, 2025. Targeting applicants from India and other Asian partners, the measures fund enhanced screening, digital upgrades and reciprocity. Existing application fees remain; typical visitor or student costs may reach roughly $472 in 2026. Payments made before December 31, 2025, and H-1B filings before September 21, 2025, are exempt. Employers, students and families may face higher costs, scheduling pressures and strategic shifts toward alternative destinations.
