US Announces Major Hike in Visa and Immigration Fees Effective 30 September 2025

The United States government has announced significant increases and new charges to immigration and entry fees, effective from 30 September 2025.

The fee for the CBP Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, used to document a foreign national’s admission to the United States, will rise from $6 to $30. This change includes an added $24 HR-1 fee on top of the existing land border charge. 

Travellers entering under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will see the cost of the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) nearly double from $21 to $40. Additionally, Chinese nationals holding long-term visitor visas will now pay $30 to register with the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS), which was previously free.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also introduced new fees for immigration benefits. Employment authorisation applications on Form I-765 under asylum, parole, or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will cost $550 for initial filings and $275 for renewals. 

Asylum seekers submitting Form I-589 must pay a $100 application fee plus a new Annual Asylum Fee of $100 for each year the case remains pending.  Forms submitted on or after 21 August 2025 without the required fees will be rejected.

A new Visa Integrity Fee of $250 will apply to certain immigrant visa applicants and will increase annually based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index. Non-petition-based visa categories such as B1/B2 visitor visas and F-series student visas will experience a fee increase of 148%, though the exact amounts are not yet clear due to inconsistencies in the published information.

These changes form part of a broader adjustment to the immigration fee structure for fiscal year 2025, aiming to shift more administrative costs onto applicants and enhance visa monitoring processes. Applicants and legal advisers are advised to familiarise themselves with the new fees ahead of implementation.