The fee is expected to be at least $250 in the 2025 US fiscal year, from 1/10/2024 to 30/9/2025. However, the Secretary of Homeland Security has the discretion to set a higher fee.

The "visa bond fee" applies to all visitors requiring a non-immigrant visa, including tourists, business travelers, and international students. Visitors pay the fee when the visa is issued, so those denied a visa will not be charged.

Tourists take photos of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Photo: Bambini

Tourists take photos of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Photo: Bambini

For example, an H-1B worker who previously paid a $205 application fee could now face a total cost of $455. This fee must also be paid in addition to the "Form I-94 fee," a form used by US Customs and Border Protection to record the entry and exit information of non-immigrant visitors. The One Big Beautiful Bill previously increased the "Form I-94 fee" from $6 to $24.

To receive a refund, visa holders must comply with the conditions of their visa, including "not working illegally" and not overstaying their visa by more than 5 days. Refunds will be issued after the travel visa expires, according to the regulations.

Steven A. Brown, a member of the immigration law firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC in Houston, said the administration needs to provide a regulation, or at least a media announcement, regarding the implementation and collection of the fee. He also advises clients to consider the fee non-refundable.

"If you get a refund, great, but it's often hard to get money back from the government," he said, suggesting clients should treat the fee as a "bonus" if refunded, rather than an expectation.

Brown said the visa bond fee is likely to affect B visa holders – the group for leisure and business travelers and international students – more than other types of visitors.

The US Travel Association is also questioning how visitors will pay this fee. "The bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to collect the fee, but this agency does not own the visa application, issuance, or renewal process," a spokesperson questioned.

Because many visas are valid for several years, the US Congressional Budget Office said it anticipates "very few people will request refunds." The agency representative added that the State Department will need several years to implement the refund process. Based on this, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that enacting this provision will increase revenue and reduce the budget deficit by $28.9 billion over the period from 2025 to 2034.

"President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill provides the policies and resources necessary to restore integrity to the nation's immigration system," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNBC.

Data shows that most visa holders comply with visa conditions. Between fiscal years 2016 and 2022, about 1% to 2% of non-immigrant visitors overstayed their visas in the US, according to the Congressional Research Service.

However, an estimated 42% of the approximately 11 million undocumented population living in the US entered legally but overstayed their permitted time, data shows. This suggests that while visa overstays are not common, they have a substantial impact on illegal immigration.

Hoai Anh (According to CNBC)