- New ESTA rates begin October sixteenth: approved applications cost forty dollars and sixty-two cents.
- The EVUS enrollment charge for eligible Chinese visa holders rises to thirty-one dollars and seventy-five cents.
- Existing approvals remain valid, while the land-border I-94 charge stays at thirty dollars.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that new charges for travel authorization applications and Chinese visitor enrollment will take effect October 16, 2026. Approved applications will cost 35 cents more, while the enrollment charge for eligible Chinese visitors will rise by $1.
The department set the approved-application fee at $40.62, up from $40.27. A denied application will cost $10.62, and the separate enrollment charge will become $31.75.
The increases apply to new applications submitted on or after October 16. An authorization already approved remains valid, and its holder will not have to pay the difference or apply again solely because the fee changed.
The department published its notice in the Federal Register on October 1. The new rates follow 15 days later.
The approved travel authorization is required for eligible nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries traveling to the United States by air or sea for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days. It is not a visa.
October 15 is the last day before the new charges take effect. Applications submitted by then remain subject to the current rates.
The four listed charges do not all move on October 16
| Charge | Through October 15, 2026 | From October 16, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved application | $40.27 | $40.62 | +$0.35 |
| Denied application | $10.27 | $10.62 | +$0.35 |
| Chinese visitor enrollment | $30.75 | $31.75 | +$1.00 |
| Land-border Form I-94 | $30.00 | $30.00 | No change |
The $30 land-border Form I-94 charge remains unchanged. Travelers arriving by air or sea generally do not pay that land-border fee.
Existing approvals stay valid and the approved charge has three parts
A traveler who already holds a valid authorization does not need to submit a fresh application because of the price adjustment. The authorization remains in force for its existing validity period, generally up to two years or until the passport expires.
The approved application fee combines three charges: a $17 travel-promotion fee, a $10.62 system-operation and administration charge, and a $13 statutory fee deposited into the federal general fund. Together, they total $40.62.
Only the operating charge changes. It rises from $10.27 to $10.62, while the promotion and statutory fees stay at $17 and $13. If the agency denies an application, the applicant pays only the operating charge, not the full approved-application amount.
The increase is 35 cents for each approved application. A family of four with four approved applications would pay $1.40 more in total under the new rate.
The enrollment increase applies to a defined group of Chinese visa holders
The Electronic Visa Update System, or EVUS, applies to nationals of the People’s Republic of China who hold certain 10-year U.S. visitor visas. The covered visa categories include B-1 business visas, B-2 visitor visas and combined B-1/B-2 visas.
Those travelers must complete the required enrollment or update before traveling to the United States. The new $31.75 payment covers the enrollment transaction itself. It is separate from the visitor visa application fee.
The $1 increase is approximately 3.25% of the current $30.75 charge. The approved authorization fee rises by approximately 0.87%, a 35-cent increase on the current $40.27 fee.
The department tied the changes to an annual inflation calculation
The notice appeared in the Federal Register on October 1, 2026, at 91 FR 62534. The Department of Homeland Security issued the adjustment through the agency that administers both programs.
The department linked the changes to the annual inflation-adjustment mechanism in H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Public Law 119-21. The calculation uses the increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers between July 2025 and July 2026.
That increase was calculated at 3.36%. The new amounts take effect 15 days after publication of the notice, placing the start date on October 16.
The same annual adjustment framework also changes other immigration-related charges. The parole fee rises from $1,020 to $1,050, while certain annual asylum-related fees increase from $102 to $105.
The October 16 schedule applies to new applications and transactions from that date forward. Existing valid authorizations keep their current validity, and the land-border I-94 charge remains $30.
