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Visitors to the US to pay an extra $320 'visa integrity fee' soon

The Straits Times

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July 23, 2025

Tourists travelling to the US will soon have to pay a new "visa integrity fee" of at least US$250 (S$320), on top of existing visa application costs, under US President Donald Trump's recently enacted "big, beautiful Bill".

- Raul Dancel

The fee will apply to many leisure and business travellers, international students and other temporary visitors who are required to obtain non-immigrant visas.

Nearly 11 million of these were issued in 2024, according to US State Department figures.

However, citizens of more than 40 countries in the US visa waiver programme, including Singapore, may be exempt from the fee.

The US$250 fee covers the 2025 fiscal year, which began on Oct 1, 2024, and will end on Sept 30, 2025. It may subsequently be adjusted for inflation.

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