Mexico unites with Brazil, France, South Korea, Germany, Italy and More as US New Visa Integrity Fee Starting October This Year

Starting in October 2025, Mexico, alongside Brazil, France, South Korea, Germany, Italy, and other top tourist sources to the US, will face a major change as the US introduces a two hundred fifty-dollar Visa Integrity Fee. This new fee will impact travelers from countries outside the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), adding significant costs for millions of tourists. For countries like Mexico and Brazil, which already contribute millions of visitors annually, this extra expense may discourage some travelers. Similarly, nations like France, South Korea, Germany, and Italy, with their growing travel numbers to the US, will see higher fees, making trips even more expensive.

As the Visa Integrity Fee increases the total cost of obtaining a US visa, these changes could potentially slow the growth of international tourism. Starting this October, top tourist sources will feel the weight of this financial shift.

The Visa Integrity Fee: What It Means for Travelers

The introduction of the two hundred fifty-dollar “visa integrity fee” applies to visitors from countries outside the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This includes travelers from nations like Mexico, Brazil, China, India, and Argentina. The fee will be added to the standard visitor visa cost, which will bring the total cost to four hundred and forty dollars. This increase places the US visa among the highest-priced in the world.

According to the US Travel Association, this fee is expected to create further barriers to international travel, which has already seen a slight downturn in recent months. In July 2025, for example, overseas travel to the US fell by more than three percent, dropping to about nineteen million visitors. This marks the fifth consecutive month of decline in inbound travel, reflecting the growing challenges for international tourists seeking to visit the country.

The Decline of US Tourism and Its Economic Impact

Experts are increasingly concerned that these new fees, along with other restrictive policies, will continue to discourage international visitors from choosing the US as their destination. In 2024, spending by international tourists in the US was estimated at One Hundred eighty-one billion dollars, but it is projected to drop to One hundred Sixty-one billion dollars in 2025. The new fee is expected to contribute to this decline, as it adds yet another layer of financial strain on travelers.

The reduction in international tourism is not only a concern for the travel industry but also for the broader US economy. International visitors are key contributors to local economies, spending money on hotels, dining, transportation, and entertainment. The drop in tourism revenue could have a long-lasting impact on industries reliant on foreign visitors, including hospitality, retail, and transportation.

Which Countries will be Impacted the most by the Visa Entry Fee?

To identify which countries are likely to be most affected by the new US visa integrity fee, we can analyze the provided data based on visitor volume from both 2004 and 2024. Countries with a higher number of visitors to the United States are more likely to experience the impact of the new visa fee, as their citizens will bear the additional cost.

Key Factors

• Countries with high visitor numbers: The higher the visitor count, the greater the financial impact of the new fee.
• Countries with large changes in travel volume: Countries that have seen a significant increase in the number of visitors from 2004 to 2024 may be disproportionately affected by the fee.
• Non-VWP countries: The new fee will primarily impact travelers from non-Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries. Thus, countries that are not in the VWP but have a significant number of visitors to the U.S. will feel the effect most.

Top Countries Likely to Be Most Affected

1. Mexico (16.99M visitors in 2024)
   Impact: Mexico has surpassed the United Kingdom to become the second-largest source of visitors to the U.S. As a non-VWP country, the new $250 visa fee will add significant costs for millions of travelers, possibly deterring some from visiting.
2. India (2.19M visitors in 2024)
   Impact: India has seen a massive increase in travel to the U.S., growing from 308,800 visitors in 2004 to 2.19 million in 2024. With this sharp rise in tourism, Indian travelers will be heavily impacted by the new visa fee, especially considering the large student and business traveler base.
3. Brazil (1.91M visitors in 2024)
   Impact: Brazil has become one of the larger sources of international visitors to the U.S., and the new visa fee could make it more expensive for Brazilians to travel, potentially slowing down the growth of tourism from this country.
4. Colombia (1.07M visitors in 2024)
   Impact: As a growing source of visitors, Colombia could see a significant decline in travel to the U.S. due to the additional visa cost, especially considering that many Colombian visitors travel for tourism and business purposes.
5. China (1.63M visitors in 2024)
   Impact: Despite a decline in recent years, China still sends over 1.6 million visitors annually to the U.S. The new visa fee could exacerbate the decline, especially given the geopolitical and economic challenges already affecting travel between the two countries.
6. South Korea (1.70M visitors in 2024)
   Impact: South Korea has seen steady travel to the U.S. The new fee could deter potential visitors, particularly business and educational travelers, who represent a significant portion of South Korea’s visitors to the U.S.
7. Italy (1.12M visitors in 2024)
   Impact: Italy is a major source of tourism to the U.S. The new visa fee will increase the cost for travelers, which could discourage future travel, particularly for those seeking to visit for leisure or cultural exchanges.
8. Germany (1.99M visitors in 2024)
   Impact: As one of the largest European sources of U.S. tourism, Germany’s travelers will feel the pinch of the new visa fee, especially those who travel frequently for business or educational purposes.
9. France (1.71M visitors in 2024)
   Impact: France, being a major source of tourists to the U.S., will also be significantly impacted by the new fee. The added cost could discourage travel, particularly from those who visit for tourism or family-related purposes.
10. Poland (365.8K visitors in 2024)
    Impact: As one of the larger sources of international visitors, Poland’s travelers will face an added financial burden due to the increased visa fees.
11. Peru (364.2K visitors in 2024)
    Impact: Peru is another country seeing a large number of visitors, and the new visa fee will affect its citizens significantly.

Countries That May Be Less Impacted

1. El Salvador (181.2K visitors in 2004)
   • Though it had fewer visitors in 2004, the total number in 2024 could be a smaller market for the new fee.
2. Jamaica (163.0K visitors in 2004)
   • Similarly, while travel from Jamaica to the U.S. is significant, the total number of visitors might be smaller compared to countries like the Netherlands or the Dominican Republic.
3. Denmark (150.8K visitors in 2004)
   • While Denmark’s travel numbers are notable, they are relatively lower compared to countries with over 400K or 500K visitors.

Countries Exempt from the New Visa Fee (VWP Countries)

• United Kingdom (4.04M visitors in 2024)
• Ireland (494.3K visitors in 2024)
• Netherlands (619.3K visitors in 2024)
• Switzerland (404.4K visitors in 2024)
• Taiwan (398.8K visitors in 2024)
• Canada (20.24M visitors in 2024)
• Venezuela (897.3K visitors in 2024)

These countries are not likely to be severely affected by the new visa entry fee, as their citizens are part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and do not require a visa for short visits.

Other Countries to Watch

• Australia (1.03M visitors in 2024)
  • Impact: With a large number of leisure and business travelers, the new visa fee could raise the cost for Australians traveling to the U.S., leading to a potential reduction in tourism.
• Japan (1.84M visitors in 2024)
  • Impact: Japan has a strong historical presence in U.S. tourism, and any increase in travel costs could decrease the number of Japanese tourists, particularly among business travelers.

Economic Forecast: The Long-Term Impact on US Tourism

Industry analysts had initially predicted a ten percent increase in international travel to the US in 2025. However, this figure has since been revised to a three percent decline due to the recent challenges facing the tourism industry. Aran Ryan, director of industry studies at Tourism Economics, a consultancy under Oxford Economics, expressed concerns that the decline in tourism would likely persist throughout the administration, which could have long-term consequences for the US economy.

Tourism from Central and South America had been showing positive growth in recent years, with travel from Mexico rising by nearly fourteen percent and arrivals from Argentina increasing by twenty percent. However, the new visa fee is expected to place a significant burden on travelers from these regions, who may be deterred from visiting the US due to the higher costs associated with obtaining a visa.

Conclusion

Countries with the highest visitor numbers and those that have seen significant growth in tourism to the U.S. in recent years, such as Mexico, India, Brazil, Colombia, and China, will be the most impacted by the new visa entry fee. The fee may discourage travel from these countries, particularly for business, tourism, and educational purposes. On the other hand, countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, which are either exempt from the fee or already have a different visa arrangement, will not experience as much impact.

Another concern surrounding the new visa fee is the possibility of reciprocal actions by foreign governments. As James Kitchen, a travel agent, pointed out, travelers from certain countries have expressed worries that other governments may impose similar fees or barriers for US travelers in the future. This could lead to a cycle of escalating visa fees, further complicating international travel.

Many international travelers, especially those from lower-income countries, already face challenges in affording US visas. The new fee is likely to exacerbate these difficulties, adding more pressure to travelers who may already struggle with the costs of long-haul travel.

Source: Visual Capitalist, Reuters