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Foreign travelers soon to pay 'visa integrity fee' to visit the U.S. costing $250
The Trump administration continues to take a harder stance on foreign visitors with a "visa integrity fee" to be implemented on Oct. 1.The fee would charge non-immigrant travelers visiting the U.S. $250 due at the time visas are issued and was enactedas part of the "One Big Beautiful Bill."Countries such as Mexico, China, and Brazil will take on the most heat, with the cost for non-visa waiver countries now nearing $442, per the U.S. Travel Association.POPULAR DESTINATION MAY EXPAND 'GOLDEN' VISA PERKS, OPENING MORE DOORS FOR WEALTHYThelargest numbers of international visitors in May were from Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and Brazil,according to the International Inbound Travel Association.Gabe Rizzi, global travel management company Altour president, told Reuters that "any friction we add to the traveler experience is going to cut travel volumes by some amount.""As the summer ends this will become a more pressing issue, and we'll have to factor the fees into travel budgets and documentation," Rizzi added.Overseas visitors to the U.S. dropped 3.1% in July from the same time last year, according to Reuters.The new fee comes as the U.S. prepares to host America250 events, the Olympics and the FIFAWorld Cupmatches.For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxnews.com/lifestyle"International visitor spending to the U.S. is projected to fall to just under $169BN this year, down from $181BN in 2024," notes aWorld Travel & Tourism Council report.Tourism Economics director of industry studies Aran Ryan told Reuters that overseas travel to the U.S. this year would grow over 10% year over year, but the latest projections now show a 3% decline.The U.S. isnt alonecountries worldwide are adding entry fees and tightening screening to capitalize on tourism while cracking down on abuse.The British government recently rolled out an "Electronic Travel Authorization" (ETA) that digitizes tourists' requests to visit the country while paying a fee of about $13.The ETAs are linked to atravelers passportin an effort to smooth security checks and "prevent abuse" of the immigration system.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTEROn Wednesday, the Trump administration proposed a rule to limit the length of time international students can remain in the U.S. for their studies to four years andthe duration of visas for cultural exchange visitors and members of the media.The rule would limit how long certain visa holders are allowed to stay in the U.S., according to a press release from theDepartment of Homeland Security.It seeks to curb "visa abuse" and increase the agency's ability to "properly vet and oversee these individuals."Fox News Digitals Landon Mion and Reuters contributed to this report.
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