Important news about new laws and additional fees in the process of obtaining a US visa was announced, according to the US Embassy in Uzbekistan. Recently, President Donald Trump signed the “One big beautiful bill act”, on the basis of which significant changes were made to the visa registration procedure.
The biggest update: for non-immigrant visas, when submitting documents through the consulate, an additional "visa integrity fee" has been introduced in addition to the previous $185 fee. This additional fee is $250 USD and greatly increases the total expenses. The embassy source officially confirmed this update.
According to the new law, this fee becomes mandatory for all citizens wishing to obtain a US non-immigrant visa. At the same time, this amount is introduced as an additional measure to finance the country’s border security and to counteract the artificial extension of visa validity. The fee amount can later be changed or re-set by decision of the Secretary of Homeland Security.
It is noted that so far only fees for non-immigrant visas have been increased. There has been no information published about whether there will be changes for immigrant visas. In addition, the requirements for preparing documents for obtaining a visa have become even stricter. According to visa service specialists, under the Trump administration, the number of refusals sharply increased—even for those who have prepared their documents fully and perfectly, refusals have become more frequent.
US Ambassador Jonathan Henick noted that in recent years, the number of applications for a US visa from Uzbekistan has increased significantly. As the country’s economy develops and the material well-being of the people improves, the number of those interested in obtaining a visa is also growing. However, as the ambassador pointed out, this process still requires time and patience.
In conclusion, the new law has introduced new obstacles and costs for citizens planning to travel to the US. It is important to study all official requirements and financial conditions for obtaining a visa in advance. Further changes and new procedures may be introduced in the future.
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