While the visa integrity fee was approved after the Bill was passed, it has not been implemented yet.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agency instituting the new fee, has not provided any specific details about the refund process or other aspects of the implementation of the fee.
“The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation,” CNN reported, citing a DHS spokesperson.
Brown warned that the fee reimbursement is not automatic, and that the burden will likely fall on visa holders to prove compliance and request the refund through a process that has not yet been announced.
“Until those procedures are announced, employers and foreign nationals should treat the US$250 visa integrity fee as a non-refundable upfront cost and plan accordingly,” Brown said.
“If a refund becomes viable in the future, it may provide an added benefit – but for now, it remains a theoretical incentive awaiting implementation guidelines.”
Any details relating to the visa integrity fee will be posted on the State Department’s visa information page, a spokesperson told CNN.
