New federal ‘Visa Integrity Fee’ could affect Puerto Rico’s tourism industry
Tucked into the recently enacted “One Big Beautiful Act” is a provision that could affect Puerto Rico’s tourism sector: a new “Visa Integrity Fee” for foreign travelers.
The law requires foreign nationals issued new nonimmigrant visas to the United States to pay an additional fee — initially set at $250. While the effective date has not been announced, the law states the fee may increase annually based on inflation and could be revised at the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security. It also cannot be waived or reduced. Reportedly, however, the fee may be reimbursed if the traveler complies with the terms of the visa and departs the United States on time.
Under Title X – Committee on the Judiciary, Subtitle A, Section 100007, the law outlines that starting in fiscal year 2026, the fee will rise each year according to changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.
Ricardo Cortés, vice president of industry affairs at Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination marketing organization, said the impact of the new fee remains unclear.
“Every time you increase the cost for a traveler to visit a destination, you can see an impact on the number of visitors,” he told News is my Business. “That impact, however, is uncertain at this point. It could be minimal, as has happened on other occasions when U.S. entry fees were raised, or it could be more significant because this increase is substantial.”
Cortés noted that Puerto Rico may be somewhat insulated, given that fewer than 10% of visitors are international travelers and many already hold valid visas. Long visa issuance delays — some exceeding 350 days — have also limited new international travel, reducing the short-term impact of the fee.
Still, as Puerto Rico seeks to expand into international markets, the fee could present a new challenge to the island’s tourism strategy.
Clarisa Jiménez, president and CEO of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, said the organization’s board of directors has not yet discussed the issue.
Crystal Bell, aerial and maritime access director at the Puerto Rico Tourism Co., said it is “too early to determine” the scope of the measure but confirmed the agency is monitoring potential impacts on travelers from countries not in the Visa Waiver Program.
“Puerto Rico has experienced sustained growth in the arrival of international visitors, including key markets such as Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Spain and other European and Latin American countries,” Bell said. “In 2024, approximately 450,000 international passengers visited the island through the three international airports. Based on the current 2025 flight schedule, international arrivals are expected to follow a similar pattern.”
If it is refunded, is it factually accurate to call it a “fee”? Wouldn’t “refundable deposit” be more correct?
Also, I understand it doesn’t apply to a number of countries inclefrance and England but others as well.