2 hours ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

This will bring the costs for Thai tourists (for a 6 month stay) in line

Thai enter the US on tourists visa and stay and work for years because the freaking immigration system is FUBARed.

5 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Should keep out the riff raff from the countries ineligible for the Visa Waiver program. 

That must be such a relief for a Brit!

6 hours ago, webfact said:

File photo for reference only

 

As the United States gears up for major global events, a new "visa integrity fee" is set to impact those applying for a U.S. tourist visa. The fee, part of a sweeping legislative package signed by President Donald Trump, will see travellers hit with a $250 charge for non-immigrant visas from October 1, 2024, as part of fiscal year 2025.

 

The $250 fee applies for fiscal year 2025, which began Oct. 1, 2024, and ends Sept. 30, 2025. It may subsequently be adjusted for inflation.

 

The decision aims to bolster immigration efforts but has caused a stir amongst potential visitors and travel experts alike. The $250 fee, roughly 9,000 Thai Baht, is non-negotiable and could rise with inflation. However, those from the over 40 nations under the Visa Waiver Program might sidestep this additional cost.

 

U.S. Travel Association President Geoff Freeman has voiced concerns, citing the potential negative impact on tourism just as the country hosts high-profile events like the World Cup and Olympics. He emphasised the need for smarter policies to maintain America’s allure as a top destination while avoiding deterring would-be visitors with surging costs.

 

The move, seen as potentially discouraging to international travellers, is intended to offset costs related to immigration and border security. Significant investments in these areas are seen as necessary, but the fee has sparked debate over its timing and necessity with such monumental events on the horizon.

 

As the new regulation nears implementation, travellers and industry insiders are closely monitoring how this fee might reshape tourism dynamics in the U.S. With fiscal goals being balanced against global hospitality, the outcome remains to be seen as stakeholders grapple with the potential ramifications.

 

For those planning trips to the U.S. post-October 2024, staying informed and prepared for these changes will be crucial. The coming months will reveal if adjustments or exemptions arise, especially as international dialogue and feedback continue.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from ABC NEWS 2025-07-22

 

 

 

USA seriously hates tourists - good thing - tourists can spend their money in other countries.  Even Thailand might benefit from Trumpian stupidity.

1 minute ago, BLMFem said:

That must be such a relief for a Brit!

 

Hardly.

 

Starmer will probably see this as an opportunity to get more undesirables into the UK. Many of the countries not on the US visa waiver list are top of his list for cultural enrichers.  

About $435 bucks to enter the US as a tourist now.  

 

Can't wait to see Thailand reciprocate for US tourists.  
 New fee for you US farangs.  The "I'm An Extra-Special US Citizen" Non-Immigrant fee.  For you special people from the United States! ฿16,000 plus on top of ฿1,900. Enjoy your stay farang!  

Good Morning Vietnam (and Mexico too)
 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The move, seen as potentially discouraging to international travellers, is intended to offset costs related to immigration and border security.

 

That is not stated anywhere in the actual law. 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Travellers seeking to enter the US will face a non-refundable $250 visa integrity fee

 

The law specifically states that the "fee" (which appears to actually be more of a bond or deposit) will be "reimbursed" if the visa holder doesn't overstay or work illegally. 

 

I think this "fee" is an incredibly stupid idea - and probably unworkable as a practical matter - but let's at least discuss what is rather than what we imagine it to be.

1 minute ago, khunjeff said:

The law specifically states that the "fee" (which appears to actually be more of a bond or deposit) will be "reimbursed" if the visa holder doesn't overstay or work illegally. 

 

Here's a clearer image of the section of law describing this.

Many of the world best football teams are from Latin America, without waivers. 9,000 Baht is enough for many to stay home. The events may end up like the military parade... Empty.

I hope this integrity fee will be spent on giving Americans some integrity because they don’t have any now.

34 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Visa free entry for many countries up to 90 days.

So as i said a misleading article to stir the anti Trumpers like you

 

Do you care if Russians. Chinese, North Koreans have to pay, are they your friends now because of this fee?  They all had to previously pay for visas, same as many countries do for the UK

 

But but Trump....

You guys are so predictable

 

🤡🤡🤡

 

  I never mentioned Trump, Yakov.  You did.  I simply clarified that this would apply to tourist visas.

 

  As an American citizen, doesn't affect me either way.  

 

  

6 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Should keep out the riff raff from the countries ineligible for the Visa Waiver program. 

Only your riff raff wants to go to america; normal decent folks have so many more better options 😎

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Won't affect me, I did all my traveling in America on the company dime before mass insanity took over.

 

A pity for others, because America does have wonderful places. Not so wonderful people will wear a BS impost.

 

Tourism in 2025 is down by 22%. I suppose the floggings must continue until morale improves.

I think I have the definition of "not so wonderful people" is, and by the same token the definition of "wonderful (maybe?) people".

 

1) As I understand it, this "visa integrity" fee only applies - on top of other visa fees - to whoever wants to visit as being citizens from countries such as :

- Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey, Mexico, or Argentina and so on.

 

2) Does not apply to citizens of countries which are part of the Visa Waiver Program such as:

- EU (e.g. France, Germany, Italy), Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and so on.

Tourists from these countries will apply via ESTA and will not be charged the integrity fee.

 

Category 1) = "not so wonderful people" - or as some would say = the "riff-raff"!

Category 2) = "wonderful (maybe?) people"

 

The visa integrity fee still applies to category 2) if not coming as tourists and for short visits (typically up to 90 days).

 

17 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

 

Here's a clearer image of the section of law describing this.

That states it 'may' be reimbursed, not that it 'will' be reimbursed. I wonder what happens if you have a 10-year multi-entry tourist visa? Have to wait 10 years to get back the fee, I guess.

 

Adding USD 1,000 to the costs of a trip for a family of four, even if allegedly reimbursable, will, I suspect, put off many. States like California will be most affected by a reduction in visitor numbers - maybe that's part of the plan? 

5 minutes ago, JulesMad said:

Only your riff raff wants to go to america; normal decent folks have so many more better options 😎

 

Well, British "riff raff" are on the visa waiver scheme. 

 

But I'm sure you'll miss the types of people from Iraq, Syria, Lybia, Somalia etc. who can't afford the 250 dollars for a visa. 😄

33 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

That must be such a relief for a Brit!

Also weird that riff-raff are always convinced it is others who are riff-raff

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

US citizens have to apply and pay for a tourist visa to visit Thailand?

 

How much do they cost and for how long do they last?

 

It's an option! 6 month (valid for up to 8 actual months) costs $200 (or at least used to).  It's a multi-entry visa valid for 60 days per entry. 

 

1 hour ago, frank83628 said:

You have to pay for non O visa for Thailand, so what is the difference?

Thats a typical 'i only read the headline' answer

 

Non-O is a one time reasonably priced fee for 1 year of stay. Another reasonable fee each year to extend it. 

 

The US Tourist fee applies if you're coming for a 2 day visit or a 2 week visit.

6 minutes ago, asiacurious said:

 

It's an option! 6 month (valid for up to 8 actual months) costs $200 (or at least used to).  It's a multi-entry visa valid for 60 days per entry. 

 

 

 

 

Why would an American purchase for a 60day tourist visa when the can enter visa exempt for 60days ?

1 hour ago, rudi49jr said:

Tourism in US is way down as it is, tens of billions of dollars in revenue lost already. And now this $ 250 ‘integrity fee’, which will make even more people avoid the US. What a joke. 

That does not matter in the long run. Neither does making them pay a fee for entering the country. If they can not afford the fee then they surely can not afford the hotels and the other travel costs whilst inside the US. It will keep a lot of the freeloaders and poor from trying to enter and hide and work illegally. 

There are many people in the world who are born in another country but now hold a new passport

and have citizens ship in lets say the EU.

For example,mister X born in Iran and now a 

European citizen,how are they going to treat this person?

 

1 minute ago, thesetat said:

That does not matter in the long run. Neither does making them pay a fee for entering the country. If they can not afford the fee then they surely can not afford the hotels and the other travel costs whilst inside the US. It will keep a lot of the freeloaders and poor from trying to enter and hide and work illegally. 

There were almost 30 million visitors per year traveling to the US to visit family and friends.

Are they also free loaders and poor people who are going to hide and work illegally?

My brother has invited me to come see him in Colorado,will never happen!

Yet another winning policy/action promoted by the trump administration. Used for immigration and border security? They just got a huge money bump from the rubber stamped just passed budget Bill. As an American I encourage all to boycott the USA, Olympics included until this boil on our back and his supporters is removed.

1 minute ago, jvs said:

There were almost 30 million visitors per year traveling to the US to visit family and friends.

Are they also free loaders and poor people who are going to hide and work illegally?

My brother has invited me to come see him in Colorado,will never happen!

I do not know... Do you know all 30 million of them? Do you know how many stayed after their Visa expired? Do you know how many of them had nothing and begged for money like we see here in Thailand with tourists? 

However, a 2016 Homeland Security report indicated that about 1.17% of visitors who were supposed to depart in fiscal year 2015 remained in the country after their authorized stay expired. By the start of 2016, an estimated 416,500 visitors were still in the US after their visa expiration. 

Fascinating how the administration with the least amount of integrity in two generations is slapping a so-called Integrity fee on a visa application, at a time when the tourist industry is suffering dramatically due to the very high levels of ill will that Trump has been spreading throughout the world, and making America a deeply unpopular place to visit. 

 

The lack of vision continues to astonish. I think extreme hubris can be blinding to a scary degree. 

 

 

A little reciprocity might be applicable here - lets remember what happened in New Zealand.

Nobody likes fees, but when you're stuck $36 trillion usd, changes need to be made.

3 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Why would an American purchase for a 60day tourist visa when the can enter visa exempt for 60days ?

 

It used to be you could exit and re-enter visa exempt, up to 2 times a year (I think).  I don't know if that's still the case.

 

So if you wanted to stay in Thailand for 8 months (or 9) and don't qualify for (or don't want to apply for) a non-Imm visa, this was the easiest way to stay. You do need to exit and re-enter every 60 days. 

 

For example:

Day 1: Visa obtained.

Day 5: Arrive Thailand.

Day 64:  Take a 5 day trip to.... Vietnam?

Day 69: Return to Thailand.

Day 129: Maybe a 3 day trip to Malaysia? day trip to Malaysia.

Day 132: Return to Thailand.

Day 175: How about a 4 day trip to Cambodia?

Day 179: Return to Thailand.

Day 239: Time to leave Thailand. Or you could have applied for a 30 day extension! 

Day 269: Leave Thailand. Get a new 6 month (which ends up being nearly 9 months).

 

 

9 minutes ago, thesetat said:

I do not know... Do you know all 30 million of them? Do you know how many stayed after their Visa expired? Do you know how many of them had nothing and begged for money like we see here in Thailand with tourists? 

However, a 2016 Homeland Security report indicated that about 1.17% of visitors who were supposed to depart in fiscal year 2015 remained in the country after their authorized stay expired. By the start of 2016, an estimated 416,500 visitors were still in the US after their visa expiration. 

And the refund of a $250 fee is going to make them leave?

 

And many of those people are undoubtedly from visa waiver countries, so the fee won't even apply to them. 

11 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Fascinating how the administration with the least amount of integrity in two generations is slapping a so-called Integrity fee on a visa application, at a time when the tourist industry is suffering dramatically due to the very high levels of ill will that Trump has been spreading throughout the world, and making America a deeply unpopular place to visit. 

 

The lack of vision continues to astonish. I think extreme hubris can be blinding to a scary degree. 

 

 

 

They actually DO have a vision for what they want, and this new fee is a part of that vision. 

 

It's just not a vision that many reasonable people share (myself included). 

7 minutes ago, Trippy said:

Nobody likes fees, but when you're stuck $36 trillion usd, changes need to be made.

 

The entire bill was designed to CUT taxes for the wealthiest in the US, not to reduce the deficit.  The bill INCREASES the national debt by trillions. If they wanted to do actually reduce the debt, they would have raised taxes on those who have benefited the most.