Get Ready, Holidays To The United States Now Have Additional Costs Of IDR 4 Million

Vacation illustration to the United States (Freepic)

JAKARTA - For those of you planning a vacation or other visits to the United States, there is important news to note. Starting October 1, 2025, you are required to pay an additional fee of around US$250 or Rp. 4 million which is called the cost of visa integrity.

This new policy is part of the Law on "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" which is enforced under Trump's administration.

This fee applies to all visitors who need non-immigrant visas, such as tourists, businessmen, and international students. The good news is, there is a possibility that this fee can be returned, although the details are still unclear.

"There are many unanswered questions about the implementation of this new fee," said a spokesman for the US Travel Association, quoted by the CNBC website.

The minimum cost of visa integrity is IDR 4 million during the 2025 US fiscal year, from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026.

The US Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority to set higher costs. After that, these costs will be adjusted to inflation.

This fee must be paid by all non-immigrant visa holders, including tourists, business people, and international students. However, some countries such as Australia, Japan, and many European countries that are members of the Visa Free Program (Visa Waiver Program) may not have to pay for this fee, as they do not need visas to enter the US.

This fee is paid when the visa is issued. If the visa application is rejected, you will not be charged this fee. This fee does not replace other visa costs. The cost of integrity of this visa is an additional fee beyond the existing regular visa fee.

"For example, workers with H-1B visas who usually pay an application fee of US$205 (Rp3.3 million), now have to pay a total of US$455 (Rp7.4 million) after this new fee applies," explained Steven A. Brown, an immigration lawyer from Reddy Neumann Brown PC.

In addition, you must also pay the I-94 Form fee which increased from 6 US dollars (Rp97 thousand) to 24 US dollars (Rp391,000). This fee applies to almost all travelers who must fill the arrival and departure records of Form I-94.

To get a refund, the visa holder must comply with visa terms and conditions. This includes not accepting illegal jobs and not exceeding the validity period of the visa by more than 5 days. Fund refunds will be made after the travel visa expires. Even though it has been announced, this fee has not been officially implemented.

"We are still waiting for an official regulation or at least an official notification of when and how this cost will come into effect," Brown said.

This policy is also unclear how the payment process will be implemented.

"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was instructed to charge a fee, but DHS does not manage the visa application process. So, where and when will DHS raise this fee?" asked a spokesman for the US Travel Association, Geoff

Regarding the refund process, many questions have not been answered. Because many visas have been valid for several years, the US Congressional Budget Office estimates that few people will ask for replacement.

They also added that two years may be needed to implement the refund process. Therefore, Steven Brown advised his client to consider this fee non-refundable.

"If it can be returned, it's a bonus. But it's usually difficult to get money back from the government," said Brown.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said President Trump's Law on 'One Big Beautiful Bill' aims to restore the integrity of the country's immigration system.

Data shows most visa holders comply with their visa provisions. Between fiscal 2016 to 2022, only about 1%-2% of non-immigrant visitors exceed their visa validity period in the US. However, it is estimated that 42% of the approximately 11 million unlicensed residents in the US are legally entered, then exceeds their stay permit period.

Steven Brown said the cost of this visa integrity is likely to have more impact on visa holders B(tourists and business travelers) as well as international students.

"For visa holders of B, they may not want to add an extra IDR 4 million per person to their travel expenses," he said.

The new fee, coupled with the increase in costs I-94, comes at a time when the US will host major events in 2026, including the celebration of "America 250" and part of the FIFA World Cup matches.

Meanwhile, the USA brand, a marketing organization that promotes travel to the US, experienced a drastic cut in funds from US$100 million (Rp1.6 trillion) to US$20 million (Rp326 billion) due to the "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act.

This happened after the US Department of Commerce suspended nearly half of the board of directors of the Brand USA in April.

Fred Dixon, President and CEO of Brand USA, expressed his disappointment over the cuts, but hoped the funds could be restored for the fiscal year 2026.

"We remain focused on improving legitimate international entry travel and the vital impetus it provides to the US economy," he said.

Even so, Geofften welcomes investment in border infrastructure and security brought by this bill.

"Smart investment in the travel process, but it feels bitter with the ridiculous new cost to foreign visitors and the cut in the budget for the Brand USA." said Geoff.