How Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Makes US Visas Costlier for Millions of Indians

US President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill", which was passed by the Senate on July 1 with new amendments, is expected to make the US visa process significantly more expensive for foreign passport holders—including millions of Indians. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill could add $3.3 trillion to the US national deficit over the next decade. It now awaits a final vote in the House of Representatives.

The bill allocates around $170 billion for immigration and border-related operations. This includes $46.6 billion for a border wall along the US-Mexico border, about $45 billion for constructing and operating new immigration detention centres, and $8 billion to hire 10,000 additional ICE officers, agents, and support staff. If passed, it would make US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.

To fund these expenditures, the bill proposes a significant hike in existing fees across the US visa and asylum process. These include, a $1,000 fee for asylum applications and for individuals paroled into the country, $500 fee for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), $250 “visa integrity fee”, $100 annual fee for asylum seekers while their cases are pending, and $1,500 to adjust to lawful permanent resident status among others new charges.

How the New Immigration Fees Add Up

According to the National Immigration Forum, a US-based immigrant advocacy group, the bill creates a "fundamental shift in the fee structure."

"Historically, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has operated as a primarily fee-funded agency, with extensive fee waivers and adjustments aimed at minimising costs for humanitarian immigration filings. The House reconciliation bill introduces a broad new fee structure across immigration processes, with significant increases for immigrant workers and those seeking humanitarian protection," the group said in a report dated May 29.

It noted that the proposed $1,000 asylum fee, combined with a $550 charge to apply for work authorisation, will create substantial financial barriers for people seeking protection in the US. “This is happening for the first time in US history,” the group emphasised.

The bill also mandates that individuals paroled into the US pay at least $1,000, plus $550 for work authorisation. TPS applicants would face a minimum of $500, in addition to the $550 work permit charge.

Furthermore, parolees, asylum seekers, and TPS recipients would be required to renew their work permits every six months, at a cost of at least $550 each time—significantly more frequently than current rules allow.

Families with unaccompanied children could face a $3,500 initial fee and a $5,000 release fee, along with penalties if the child misses court—potentially discouraging sponsorship. New fees would also apply for immigration court delays and no-show removal orders. Additional revenue is expected through increased visa and travel authorisation fees, including a $5,000 penalty for migrants apprehended between official ports of entry.

“These increases will create significant financial barriers for many people seeking access to immigration benefits and legal processes,” the National Immigration Forum warned.

While many of the above fees target asylum seekers, data from the US Department of Homeland Security shows that asylum applications from India surged by 855% between FY21 and FY23, from 4,330 to 41,330. Nearly half of these applicants are believed to be from Gujarat. In 2023, Indian nationals ranked fifth in defensive asylum claims and seventh in affirmative applications. The 2023 Asylees Annual Flow Report, released in October 2024, shows that 5,340 Indians were granted asylum—2,710 through affirmative claims and 2,630 through defensive claims.

What About Indians Waiting for a Visa or Green Card?

As of 2024, over 5 million Indians are in the US on various nonimmigrant visas, including those for students, workers, and visitors. In 2024 alone, the US issued over 1 million such visas to Indian nationals, who make up about 78% of all H-1B skilled worker visas. Approximately 420,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in US institutions.

Additionally, nearly 1.2 million Indians are stuck in the employment-based green card backlog, facing delays that often stretch into decades due to annual country caps and processing inefficiencies.

Trump’s bill proposes a mandatory $250 “visa integrity fee” for all temporary visa applicants. This fee may be refunded if the visa is unused, the applicant does not engage in unauthorised employment, avoids overstaying by more than five days, or files to extend or adjust their status within the visa’s validity period.

It also introduces new charges in immigration proceedings, including $100 to request a continuance from an immigration judge, $1,500 to apply for permanent residency via immigration court, and $900 to appeal a judge’s decision. Individuals ordered removed in absentia or caught between ports of entry would face a $5,000 penalty.

The bill further imposes a $900 fee for appealing Department of Homeland Security decisions or filing motions to reopen or reconsider decisions from immigration judges or the Board of Immigration Appeals.

These escalating costs, combined with anticipated stricter enforcement actions by ICE, are expected to make it significantly harder to seek visas or asylum in the US. According to economists cited by Barron’s, these measures could result in negative net migration in 2025—potentially reducing US GDP growth by 0.3 to 0.4 percentage points.