5 days ago
US non-immigrant visa may cost more: Report
Muscat: Visitors to the US with non-immigrant visas will need to pay a 'visa integrity fee, making travel expensive under the new 'One Big Beautiful Bill' Act.
The fee has not yet been implemented, and it is not clear when it will begin, according to the CNBC Travel report.
Visa applicants would need to pay $250 in the fiscal year 2025 from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. The fee is expected to be hiked after the fiscal year or adjusted for inflation, the report said.
Currently, the cost for a US B1/B2 visa issued by the US Embassy in the Sultanate of Oman is over RO70.
Applicants of tourist/business (B-1/B-2), student (F/M), work (H-1B), and exchange (J) visas will have to pay the integrity fee, and if the visa is denied, then there is no need to pay the fee. It will need to be paid once your visa is issued. Visa holders must comply with the conditions of the visa and not overstay the period. Once the visa validity date expires, the reimbursements will be made.
To get their money back, visa holders must comply with the conditions of the visa, which include 'not accepting unauthorized employment' and not overstaying the visa validity date by more than five days, according to the provision. Reimbursements will be made after the travel visa expires, according to the CNBC Travel report.
