U.S. Visa Integrity Fee: Is the Additional Fee Already Being Charged?

A “Visa Integrity Fee” has been widely discussed, and applicants keep asking the same question: am I supposed to be paying it? The honest answer requires separating three different things — what U.S. law now says, what has actually been put into operation, and what is still only reported or proposed. They are not the same, and most of the confusion online comes from mixing them together.

Last updated: 5 September 2026. This is an area where implementation can change without much warning. Confirm the position on the official sources listed at the end before acting on anything here.

What is established in law

Congress created a Visa Integrity Fee in statute. It sits in the U.S. Code at 8 U.S.C. § 1806, and it applies to nonimmigrant visa applicants — the category that includes B1/B2 visitors. As enacted, the law set a minimum amount for the initial fiscal year with provision for annual adjustment, made the fee payable in connection with the issuance of a visa, and allowed for reimbursement where the visa holder complies with the conditions of their status.

That is the legal framework. A statute establishing a fee is not the same as an agency collecting one: the mechanism, the timing, the payment channel and the reimbursement procedure all require implementation before anybody pays anything.

What you definitely do pay

The standard, long-established charge for a B1/B2 application is the $185 MRV application fee. You pay it before scheduling your interview, it is non-refundable, and it is not affected by any of the discussion around the integrity fee. If you are budgeting for a visitor visa today, that is the figure to start from.

Separately, and only in specific cases, there are two other amounts that people sometimes confuse with the integrity fee:

• The optional $750 paid expedited appointment — voluntary, buys an earlier interview only, non-refundable.
• A visa bond of $5,000–$15,000 — refundable, required only from nationals of listed countries when an officer says so.

Four different things, four different rules. An application fee is not an expedite fee, an expedite fee is not a bond, and none of them is the integrity fee.

Who would be affected, and when it would be collected

As written, the fee reaches nonimmigrant visa applicants generally rather than one narrow category, which would include B1/B2 visitors. The statute ties payment to the issuance of the visa — meaning it would arise at the end of a successful application rather than as an upfront charge when you first apply. If it is being collected in your case, the instruction will come through official channels, not through an email or a social media post.

Could it be refunded?

The law contemplates reimbursement for holders who comply with the conditions of their visa — broadly, people who do what their status permits and leave when required. How that would work in practice, what evidence would be needed and how long it would take are matters for implementing guidance. Until that guidance exists and you have read it, treat any refund as uncertain rather than as money you will get back.

Why social media is the wrong source here

Fee changes attract confident, wrong explanations. Posts routinely present a proposal as a rule already in force, quote an amount from an early draft, or describe a payment step that does not exist. Applicants who act on that end up paying the wrong thing, at the wrong time, to the wrong recipient.

What this means for applicants

Plan your application around the $185 MRV fee, and follow only the payment instructions that appear in your official appointment account or come directly from the embassy. Before you travel or budget, check the official sources for whether the integrity fee is being collected in your case and at what amount. If nothing official tells you to pay it, you do not pay it — and no third party can change that.

How to check the current position

Frequently asked questions

Is the Visa Integrity Fee real?

It exists in U.S. law. Whether it is currently being collected from B1/B2 applicants is a separate question that you should verify on official sources.

Do I pay it instead of the $185 MRV fee?

No. The MRV application fee is separate and continues to apply. Any integrity fee would be additional, not a replacement.

When would it be charged?

The statute connects it to visa issuance rather than to submitting an application, so it would arise after a decision to issue.

Can I get it back?

The law provides for reimbursement where the holder complies with their visa conditions, but the procedure depends on implementing guidance. Do not budget on the assumption of a refund.

Someone offered to pay it for me. Should I?

No. That is a fraud pattern. U.S. visa fees are paid only through official channels, following instructions you receive officially.

Conclusion

The Visa Integrity Fee is established in legislation, and that much is settled. What matters to you as an applicant is whether it is being collected today, at what amount, and through which channel — and those answers come from official sources, on the day you need them. Until an official instruction reaches you, the fee you plan for is the $185 MRV application fee.

Disclaimer

EasyVisaPath is an independent visa-support service and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State or any U.S. government agency. Visa decisions are made exclusively by U.S. consular officers. This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.

Official sources