Trump's controversial $250 visa fee could cost the US economy $11 billion as tourists stay away, research finds [View all]

Source: The Independent

Friday 15 August 2025 23:29 BST


Research suggests President Donald Trump’s new $250 “visa integrity fee” could cost the United States $11 billion — a much larger figure than the Congressional Budget Office previously estimated, according to a report.

The fee, packed in Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” that he signed into law last month, applies to all visitors traveling to the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa. The fee doesn’t apply to countries on the Visa Waiver Program, which includes most Western European nations and some Asian countries.

By 2034, the “visa integrity fee” would bring in more than $27 billion, the Congressional Budget Office estimated. Said differently, the office is predicting the U.S. will rake in $2.7 billion from 11 million foreign travelers paying the fee each year.

While the language of the law makes the fee sound like a win for the U.S. economy, it may actually become a major loss, as the cost could deter visitors. That loss could be as high as roughly $3.6 billion per year, or $11 billion in three years, according to a Tourism Economics analysis seen by Forbes.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-visa-integrity-fee-economy-tourists-b2808714.html