Having friends or family come to visit in the U.S. is about to get more expensive, if they need a visa to enter the country.
President Trump’s massive tax and spending bill called for the creation of a new “visa integrity fee,” a $250 charge added on top of all other pre-existing visa fees.
The fee is only for those not included in the visa waiver program, which means a family of four from Mexico, India, China, Brazil or any country in Africa will have to pay an additional $1,000 to enter the U.S.
The “integrity fee” is meant to be refundable if travelers follow the rules of their visa, but questions remain around how this fee will be refunded and how travelers will have to prove they have complied with the law.
PBS News’ Tim McPhillips spoke with Steven Brown, a Partner with Reddy Neumann Brown PC, an immigration law firm in Houston, to break down what you need to know about this new fee. Watch the conversation in the player above.
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