India, July 9 -- President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which went into effect on July 4, introduced a $250 Visa Integrity Fee, marking yet another shift in US immigration policy. Similar to a security deposit, the charge is subject to annual changes based on inflation and may be reimbursed to applicants who meet specific requirements. It is interpreted as an effort by the Trump administration to enforce US immigration regulations on applicants.

According to a report by Fragomen, applicants have to pay a fix amount of $250 at the time of visa approval. The $250 fee (about Rs.21,400) will go into effect in fiscal year 2025.

DHS has the power to increase this cost above the base level via future regulations. This is a recurr...