NEW VISA FEE KICKS IN

NEW YORK:

Effective immediately, Jamaicans applying for visitor, student, or work visas to the United States must now pay an additional US$250 visa surcharge, bringing the total cost of a standard tourist visa to US$435 per person.

The surcharge, outlined in the recently signed US immigration legislation titled the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’, significantly increases the financial burden on Jamaican travellers. Previously, the standard fee for a B1/B2 tourist or business visa was US$185. With the new surcharge, a Jamaican family of four travelling to the US will now pay an additional US$1,000 in visa fees alone.

Immigration analysts and advocacy groups warn that the measure could discourage Caribbean travel to the US, strain family budgets, and negatively affect industries such as tourism, retail, and air travel.

The US government has framed the new charge – officially called the ‘visa integrity fee’ – as a tool to deter visa overstays. It applies to all non-immigrant visa categories, including tourist, student, and temporary work visas, and will be collected by the Department of Homeland Security at the time of visa issuance. The fee is non-waivable and subject to annual adjustment.

While there is a provision for the US$250 to be refunded, travellers must fully comply with the terms of their visa and leave the United States within five days of expiration. Those who adjust their status legally, such as by obtaining a green card, may also qualify for a refund. However, critics note that no clear system has yet been announced for how travellers will reclaim the surcharge. Many worry that the refund process could be so cumbersome that most eligible travellers will never receive their money back, effectively making the fee permanent.

Jamaican immigration attorneys in the United States remain skeptical that the surcharge will deter travel.

Wayne Golding, an immigration attorney based in Central Florida, told The Gleaner that he did not believe that the new fee would impact demand significantly. He believes that Jamaicans who travel to shop or visit family will simply absorb the additional cost.

“I don’t see it as a deterrent,” he said.

Another Jamaican immigration attorney, Michelle Fanger, who operates from Jacksonville in Florida with clients across the United States, agreed.

“The surcharge fee is part of the administration’s enforcement policy to crack down on people overstaying their visas,” she noted, adding that Jamaicans would pay whatever the cost to get a US visa.

Fanger pointed out that no mechanism had been put in place as to how the surcharge would be reimbursed once the visitor returned home but noted that the accompanying regulations should come shortly.

“It seems that they rushed to put it into place,” she told The Gleaner.

Irwine Clare, head of Queens-based Caribbean Immigration Services, said the new surcharge fees”could have the effect of reducing the number of Jamaicans who want to travel to the United States”.

“Family visits will also be impacted as the fees kick in,” he told The Gleaner.

Immigration attorney Winston Tucker described the measure as “disruptive” and said it could lead to fewer Jamaicans travelling to the US for leisure or events such as funerals and weddings. He also noted that immigration court fees are increasing under the same legislation, which may discourage immigrants from fighting their cases in court.

“It is all designed to be disruptive,” he said. “We will have to wait to see how the process plays out.”

According to US State Department figures, 83,957 B1/B2 visas were issued to Jamaicans in 2024. Current visa-issuance data for 2025 is not yet available.

In addition to the visa surcharge, the new law includes sweeping immigration policy changes. For the first time in US history, asylum seekers must now pay a minimum of US$100 to file an asylum application. Previously, there was no fee. The new law eliminates the possibility of fee waivers even for low-income applicants. Beginning in fiscal year 2025, asylum seekers will also be charged an annual fee of at least US$100 for every year their case remains unresolved.

The financial burden does not end there. Asylum seekers must now pay US$550 for their initial work permit – up from zero – and US$275 for renewals. These costs are also non-waivable and indexed to inflation. The law stipulates that if an asylum application is denied, the applicant’s work permit will be terminated immediately or within 30 days, leaving little room for appeal or adjustment.

Immigration advocates say that these new measures could have far-reaching effects on Caribbean communities in the United States. Many Caribbean asylum seekers are low-income people and arrive with very little resources. They will now need to produce $100 at the time of filing – which may delay filing or deter some from seeking asylum at all.They argue that the policies create economic barriers for low-income immigrants and asylum seekers while adding pressure to leave the country quickly if legal status is denied.

While some view the surcharge and associated reforms as tools to ensure visa compliance, others see them as punitive measures that disproportionately affect honest travellers and vulnerable asylum seekers. As implementation begins, the true impact of these new rules on Jamaican migration and Caribbean-US relations remains to be seen.

editorial@gleanerjm.com