New USD 250 'Visa Integrity Fee' For US Visas To Come Into Effect From October 1; Indian Nationals Among Those Impacted

From October 1, 2025, travellers from India to the United States of America will have to pay a USD 250 (approximately INR 22,000) “visa integrity fee,” raising the total visa cost to USD 442 (approximately INR 38,974).The news comes after figures show Indian visitor numbers to the country have plummeted. June saw a decline in numbers over the previous year for the first time this millennium—barring the COVID-19 pandemic.According to the US National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), 210,000 Indians headed to America in June, eight per cent lower than the figures for June 2024. The provisional figure for July 2025 shows a 5.5 per cent fall over the same month last year.In total, overseas travel to the US dropped 3.1 per cent year-on-year in July, with only 19.2 million visitors recorded. It marked the fifth monthly decline in 2025, upending expectations that inbound travel would finally rebound above pre-pandemic levels of 79.4 million annual visitors.Who Will Be Hardest Hit By The New Visa Fee?The new visa fee, set to go into effect on October 1, adds an additional hurdle for travellers from non-visa waiver countries like Mexico, Argentina, India, Brazil and China. The extra charge makes the US visa one that has the highest visitor fees in the world.The newest visa fee is likely to hit hardest in Central and South American countries that have been a rare bright spot for US travel this year.Overall travel from Central America grew by three per cent and from South America 0.7 per cent, compared with a decline of 2.3 per cent from Western Europe.In China, arrivals have remained muted since the pandemic, with July data still 53 per cent below 2019 levels. The visa fee also threatens travel from India, where visits are down 2.4 per cent so far this year, driven by a near 18 per cent drop in students.Hike In Visa Fee Comes After Speculation On Tourist BondsThe visa fee reinforces a bleak perception of the USA under president Donald Trump, whose immigration policies, cuts to foreign aid and sweeping tariffs have eroded America’s appeal as a destination, even with major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics on the horizon.In early August, the administration said the US could require bonds of up to USD 15,000 (approximately INR 1.3 million) for some tourist and business visas under a pilot program effective August 20 that will last for approximately a year, in an effort to crack down on visitors overstaying their visas.India is the fourth-largest source market for international visitors to the US, after Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom.(With inputs from multiple news reports)Explained: US Tourist Visa Bond Rule—What The $15,000 Pilot Programme Means For Travellers