For many foreign nationals, a new visa fee will increase the cost of traveling to the United States by $250. The “visa integrity fee,” included in the sweeping policy legislation that President Donald Trump signed into law this month, will require visitors traveling on a nonimmigrant visa to pay an additional $250. This group includes leisure and business travelers as well as international students from a wide range of countries such as India, China, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and the Philippines. Applicants must pay this amount on top of other visa fees that often total nearly $200. The Department of Homeland Security can adjust the fee based on inflation, starting in October. The bill does not specify when the fee will go into effect. In a statement, DHS said the new law “provides the necessary policies and resources to restore integrity in our nation’s immigration system. The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation.” The department did not answer questions from The Washington Post about when the fee will be implemented and how visitors will pay it. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. The fee could be refundable once the visitor visa expires, typically in 10 years for business and tourist visas, according to Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, a nonprofit that advocates for the travel industry. The fee does not apply to travelers from more than 40 countries covered by the Visa Waiver Program , such as Australia, Chile, France, Qatar and Singapore. These visitors, however, will also feel a new financial pinch. Under the law, the application fee for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization will increase from $21 to $40. Freeman said the ESTA fee will be split among a travel promotion fund, Customs and Border Protection, and a general Treasury fund. The visa integrity fee, which he called a “junk fee that would make Ticketmaster blush,” will go toward deficit reduction. “Let’s steal money from foreign travelers, money that they would have spent in U.S. restaurants and hotels and with small businesses,” Freeman said. “Now they’re going to give it to the U.S. government.” The fee could scare off potential visitors, said Steven Brown, an immigration lawyer based in Houston. He said a family of four headed to Disney World on a tourist visa called a B-2 , which costs $185 per person, would have to pay more than $1,700 before they even set foot in the Magic Kingdom. “People might question, ‘Hey, is this an extra expense we want to pay?’” Brown said. According to the new law, travelers may receive a refund if they comply with several stipulations, such as leaving within five days of the preapproved departure date and not accepting unauthorized employment. The provision does not provide details on how a traveler would receive a refund. Brown said DHS and the State Department will oversee the refund process. Freeman doubted that visitors will ever see a check. “The U.S. government is not a bank that’s going to be setting aside people’s money and give them interest on that amount when we return it to them in 10 years,” he said. “It is a cynical way to create an offset on the backs of foreigners.” The Congressional Budget Office estimates the fee will generate $28.9 billion through fiscal 2034, though it is not clear whether that projection factors in the yet-to-be-announced implementation date. The United States is gearing up for two of the world’s preeminent athletic events, the FIFA World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico next summer, and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Los Angeles, which will stage the international competition for a third time, holds the record for hosting the most profitable Games in Olympic history, the 1984 Summer Games. The World Cup could be even more lucrative. A Fédération Internationale de Football Association analysis released in March said the country could garner $6.4 billion in tourist spending. “Tourism forecasts for the FIFA World Cup 2026 are promising,” the study noted. “This influx of visitors will likely generate billions of dollars in economic activity, benefiting the hospitality, transportation, and retail sectors.” The wildly popular soccer tournament will overlap with America’s 250th anniversary , a year-long celebration marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The timing of the visa fee is inopportune, Freeman said. According to the association, international visits declined 3.4 percent in the first half of 2025 compared with last year. The number fell 5 percent in June alone. “Before the pandemic, we had 79 million visitors. Last year, we had 72 million visitors,” Freeman said. “This year, we’re going backwards.” Though the majority of visitors originate from visa-waiver countries, 45 percent “must go through hurdles to get a visa,” Freeman said. Brand USA, which promotes international travel, also took a hit, losing $80 million of its federal funding for the 2026 fiscal year. Freeman said the association and other travel industry entities plan to push back against the visa integrity fee. “This is just dumb policy,” Freeman said. More travel tips Vacation planning: Start with a strategy to maximize days off by taking PTO around holidays. Experts recommend taking multiple short trips for peak happiness . Want to take an ambitious trip? Here are 12 destinations to try this year — without crowds. Cheap flights: Follow our best advice for scoring low airfare , including setting flight price alerts and subscribing to deal newsletters. If you’re set on an expensive getaway, here’s a plan to save up without straining your credit limit. Airport chaos: We’ve got advice for every scenario , from canceled flights to lost luggage . Stuck at the rental car counter? These tips can speed up the process. And following these 52 rules of flying should make the experience better for everyone. Expert advice: Our By The Way Concierge solves readers’ dilemmas , including whether it’s okay to ditch a partner at security, or what happens if you get caught flying with weed . Submit your question here . Or you could look to the gurus: Lonely Planet and Rick Steves .