What is the US visa integrity fee?
H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation law signed on 4 July 2025 (Public Law 119-21), created several new immigration fees. Section 100007 is the “visa integrity fee”. It requires anyone issued a nonimmigrant visa to pay it at the time of issuance, in addition to any other fee already charged.
The law set the starting amount at 250 USD and provides for annual inflation adjustments in later fiscal years, so check the amount in your post’s payment instructions before you pay. It also states plainly that the fee cannot be waived or reduced.
How is it different from the MRV fee?
The two fees are easy to mix up, but they are paid at different moments and behave differently if you are refused:
| MRV application fee | Visa integrity fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount per person | 185 USD | 250 USD |
| When do you pay? | Before booking the interview | When the visa is issued |
| If the visa is refused | Already paid, not refunded | Not charged |
| Refund | None | Conditional refund possible under the law |
| Legal basis | State Department fee schedule | H.R. 1, section 100007 |
Who has to pay the visa integrity fee?
The law ties the fee to “any alien issued a nonimmigrant visa”. Turkish citizens cannot use the Visa Waiver Program, so anyone from Turkey who travels on a US visa will meet this fee once the visa is issued:
- B1/B2 business and tourist visa holders, on a first application or a renewal.
- Student (F, M) and exchange (J) visa holders.
- Work visa holders, for example H, L or O.
- Renewals processed without an interview: if the visa is issued, the fee still applies.
Immigrant visas (the green card route) fall outside this section, which covers nonimmigrant visas only.
What about children and family applications?
Because the law rules out waivers and reductions, children pay the same amount as adults. If a family of four are all issued visas, the fee is paid four times. If one family member is refused, no integrity fee is due for that person.
When and how is the fee paid?
The fee has applied since 1 October 2025. Embassies and consulates are bringing in collection in stages, so the payment method and timing are set by the post where you apply. The usual order is:
- Submit your DS-160 online application.
- Pay the MRV fee (185 USD) and book your interview.
- Attend the interview, where a consular officer decides your case.
- If the visa is approved, pay the integrity fee (250 USD) following the official instructions the post gives you.
- Your visa is printed in your passport and returned by the delivery method you chose.
Pay only through the channels shown by the embassy, the consulate or the official appointment system. Ignore anyone who offers to “collect” this fee for you, and keep your payment receipt.
Do you pay the integrity fee if your visa is refused?
No. The fee is linked to issuance, so a refused application does not trigger it. The MRV fee you paid when applying is not refunded, though.
If your case is held for administrative processing under 221(g), the fee only becomes payable if a visa is issued at the end of that process. If you reapply after a refusal you pay a new MRV fee, and the integrity fee again applies only if the visa is issued.
Can you get the visa integrity fee refunded?
The law says the Department of Homeland Security may reimburse the fee after the visa’s validity has expired if the person shows that they:
- complied with all conditions of the visa after entering the US, including not working without authorisation;
- and either did not seek to extend their stay and left no later than 5 days after their authorised stay ended,
- or, during that time, were granted an extension or adjustment to permanent residence.
The wording is “may reimburse”: it is a discretionary power, not an automatic refund. The official sources this guide relies on describe no procedure for claiming it. Some media call the fee a “deposit”, but for now it is more realistic to budget for it as money you will not get back.
How does the fee change your total visa cost?
The total our calculator shows has two parts: the MRV fee and our service fee, per person. The integrity fee sits outside it; if the visa is issued and your post collects it, it is paid separately to the US authorities. For one person applying with our Premium package:
| Item | When paid | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MRV application fee | Before the appointment | 185 USD |
| Visa integrity fee (not in the total) | If issued, to the US authorities | 250 USD |
| Premium service fee | Paid to us | 350 USD |
| Calculator total (fee + service fee) | ≈ 535 USD |
The fee and our service fee are per person and do not change with age; for a family, enter the total number of people, for example a family of three.
What should you check before you apply?
- Add 250 USD to your budget for each person who may be issued a visa.
- Read the current payment instructions of the post where you apply.
- Remember the amount can be adjusted for inflation; the official figure at the time of payment is what counts.
- Rely on official sources, not amounts, dates or “refund” claims shared on social media.
Government fees are not part of our service fee. Our Standard, Premium and Elite packages cover the DS-160, the appointment and a document review; Premium and Elite add a mock interview with a licensed US visa attorney. See US visa packages and visa fees.
Frequently asked questions
Does the integrity fee replace the MRV fee?
No. The MRV fee (185 USD) is paid when you apply and is not refunded if you are refused. The integrity fee (250 USD) comes on top of it and is charged only when a visa is issued.
Do I pay it if my visa is refused?
No. The fee depends on the visa being issued, so it is not charged on a refusal. The MRV fee you already paid is not refunded.
Does my child have to pay the integrity fee?
Yes. The law does not allow the fee to be waived or reduced, so each child who is issued a visa pays the same amount as an adult.
Is it charged on a renewal without an interview?
Yes. The fee is tied to issuance, not to the interview, so a renewal processed without an interview still incurs it if the visa is issued.
Will the integrity fee be refunded?
The law allows a refund after the visa expires for people who kept to its conditions and left on time. It is discretionary, and the official sources we rely on publish no procedure for claiming it.
Where and how do I pay it?
Collection is being phased in post by post, so the method depends on the instructions of the embassy or consulate where you apply. Use only the channels shown by the post or the official appointment system.
Sources
- Congress.gov — Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1, 4 July 2025), section 100007: Visa integrity fee — accessed:
- Federal Register 2026-11513 — Schedule of Fees for Consular Services: Visa and Citizenship Services Fee Changes (9 June 2026), full text — accessed:
- Federal Register 2025-13738 — USCIS Immigration Fees Required by HR-1 Reconciliation Bill (22 July 2025), full text — accessed:
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Lincoln Visa Group is not an official authority; the visa decision rests solely with the competent authority of the country concerned.
