The Wheel of Topics

I asked SuperGrok:

Tell me about the new visa and remittance fee part of the BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

You raised an interesting angle to consider for the BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL that I, and I assume many others like me, never considered.

Did you anyone else realize that there was a major consideration on visas and REMITTANCE FEES?

See what SuperGrok had to offer:

The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (H.R. 1), signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025, introduces several new fees and taxes affecting immigrants and international money transfers as part of a broader budget reconciliation package. Below is a detailed overview of the new visa and remittance fee provisions based on available information:

### **Visa-Related Fees**

1. **Visa Integrity Fee ($250)**:

- A new $250 "visa integrity fee" is imposed on all nonimmigrant visa applicants, including tourists, students, and temporary workers (e.g., H-1B, J-1, H-2A visa holders). This fee is in addition to existing visa application fees, such as the $185 fee for a J-1 visa.

- **Purpose**: The fee supports fraud detection and enforcement efforts within the U.S. immigration system.

- **Implementation**: Effective for the federal fiscal year starting October 1, 2024, and ending September 30, 2025, with annual adjustments for inflation. The fee requires cross-agency coordination for implementation, and it’s unclear if it will be retroactive.

- **Reimbursement**: The fee may be refunded if visa holders comply with visa terms, such as leaving the U.S. upon visa expiration and not engaging in unauthorized work. However, those transitioning to longer-term visas or green cards are unlikely to be reimbursed.

- **Impact**: The fee applies to over 10 million nonimmigrant visas issued annually, potentially discouraging legal visitors and workers, particularly low-income applicants like seasonal workers or cultural exchange participants. The U.S. Travel Association warns that this could harm tourism and industries reliant on temporary workers, such as hospitality.[](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-visa-integrity-fee-250-big-beautiful-bill-who-pays/)[](https://www.newsweek.com/visa-integrity-fee-trum-administration-big-beautiful-bill-temporary-workers-2099256)

2. **Asylum Application Fee ($100)**:

- A new $100 fee is introduced for asylum applications, previously free, starting in fiscal year 2025. An earlier proposal set this fee at $1,000 but was reduced due to criticism.

- **Additional Costs**: Asylum seekers also face a $550 fee for work permits and $100 per year for maintaining asylum status, creating significant financial barriers for vulnerable populations.

- **Criticism**: Critics argue these fees violate international humanitarian principles by tying legal protections to the ability to pay, disproportionately affecting low-income and Global South immigrants.[](https://natlawreview.com/article/july-8th-2025-one-big-beautiful-bill-closer-look-new-and-rising-immigration-fees)[](https://citizenpath.com/big-beautiful-bill-immigration-provisions/)

3. **Other Immigration Fees**:

- **I-94 Arrival/Departure Fee ($30)**: A new fee for administrative tracking and data integration.

- **Failure to Appear/Entry Without Inspection Fee ($5,000)**: A non-waivable penalty for immigrants apprehended between ports of entry or ordered removed in absentia, enforced by ICE with limited discretion.

- **Expedited Processing Fee ($1,000)**: Proposed for tourist and nonimmigrant visa applications, in addition to the standard $185 processing fee.

- **Fee Structure**: Many fees are set as minimums, allowing the Department of Homeland Security or other agencies to increase them or layer additional fees. Fee waivers are limited, making legal pathways costlier.[]

(https://immigrationforum.org/article/one-big-beautiful-bill-act-immigration-provisions/)[](https://natlawreview.com/article/july-8th-2025-one-big-beautiful-bill-closer-look-new-and-rising-immigration-fees)[](https://www.globalimmigrationblog.com/2025/06/what-are-the-immigration-impacts-in-budget-reconciliation-bill-h-r-1/)

### **Remittance Tax**

1. **Tax Rate and Scope**:

- The bill imposes a 1% excise tax on remittances, defined as cash transfers, money orders, or cashier’s checks sent abroad. This is a reduction from earlier proposals of 5% (initial House version) and 3.5% (revised House version).

- **Applicability**: The tax applies to all senders, including U.S. citizens, unlike earlier versions that targeted only non-citizens (e.g., green card holders, temporary visa holders, and undocumented immigrants). This change broadens the tax base to approximately 48 million foreign-born residents and others sending money abroad.

- **Exemptions**: Transfers from bank accounts, financial institutions, or U.S.-issued debit/credit cards are exempt, likely due to lobbying from the banking industry. Digital transfers via cryptocurrencies or stablecoins are also exempt, though it’s unclear if virtual currency transfers are fully covered under the law’s definitions.[](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-big-beautiful-bill-immigrants)[](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/big-remittance-cheer-for-nris-us-senate-draft-of-donald-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-reduces-remittance-tax-to-1-from-3-5-details-here/articleshow/122131766.cms)[](https://www.cgdev.org/blog/even-1-percent-us-remittance-tax-hits-poor-countries-hard)

2. **Implementation**:

- The tax takes effect after December 31, 2025, and is collected by remittance providers (e.g., Western Union, MoneyGram, banks) and paid quarterly to the U.S. Treasury.

- Financial institutions may need to update compliance processes, such as revising Form W-9 to verify senders’ citizenship and tax residency status, increasing administrative burdens.[](https://www.anchin.com/articles/the-big-beautiful-bill-what-it-means-for-non-u-s-citizens/)[]

(https://www.fxcintel.com/research/reports/ct-us-remittance-tax-impact)

3. **Revenue Projections**:

- Estimates vary, with Politico projecting $10 billion and the Joint Committee on Taxation estimating up to $26 billion over 10 years. However, actual revenue may be lower due to tax avoidance behaviors, such as using informal channels (e.g., cash, hawala, or intermediaries) or high-value goods to transfer value.[](https://taxfoundation.org/blog/us-remittances-tax-big-beautiful-bill/)[](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/remittance-tax-one-big-beautiful-bill-can-further-discourage-illegal-immigration-says-expert)

4. **Impact**:

- **Economic Effects**: The tax adds to existing remittance fees (often 6% or higher), potentially reducing the $93 billion in annual U.S. remittances, with significant impacts on countries like India ($32 billion in 2023-24), Mexico, China, and the Philippines. For example, Mexico could lose over $1.5 billion annually, and Central American countries like El Salvador may see losses equivalent to 0.6% of their GNI.[](https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/one-big-beautiful-bill-us-foreign-remittance-for-indians/article69771403.ece)[](https://www.cgdev.org/blog/even-1-percent-us-remittance-tax-hits-poor-countries-hard)

- **Social Effects**: Remittances are critical for low-income families in developing countries, funding essentials like food, healthcare, and education. The tax may reduce these flows, exacerbating poverty and forcing reliance on informal, less secure transfer methods.[](https://odi.org/en/insights/why-taxing-remittances-will-harm-migrants-and-the-us-economy-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/)[](https://citizenpath.com/big-beautiful-bill-immigration-provisions/)

- **Immigration Policy**: Proponents, like Lora Ries from The Heritage Foundation, argue the tax discourages illegal immigration by making it harder to send money abroad, potentially encouraging self-deportation. Critics, including the Center for Global Development, argue it unfairly burdens legal immigrants and U.S. citizens while failing to deter migration, as many will find ways to circumvent the tax.[](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/remittance-tax-one-big-beautiful-bill-can-further-discourage-illegal-immigration-says-expert)[](https://www.cgdev.org/blog/even-1-percent-us-remittance-tax-hits-poor-countries-hard)

5. **Criticism and Concerns**:

- The tax is seen as nonneutral, discouraging households split between the U.S. and other countries. It imposes compliance burdens on financial institutions and individuals, including U.S. citizens proving their status to avoid the tax.

- Critics argue the tax undermines the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to reduce remittance costs to 3%. Combined with existing fees, the effective cost could exceed 7%, reducing economic stability in recipient countries.[](https://taxfoundation.org/blog/us-remittances-tax-big-beautiful-bill/)[](https://odi.org/en/insights/why-taxing-remittances-will-harm-migrants-and-the-us-economy-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/)

- The broad application to all senders, including U.S. citizens, has drawn criticism as a penalty on personal freedom, with some calling it a tax on supporting family abroad.

### **Broader Context**

- The bill allocates over $170 billion for immigration enforcement, including $46.5 billion for border wall construction, $30 billion for ICE personnel and facilities, and $60 billion for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through 2029. These fees and taxes help fund this enforcement agenda.

- Other provisions restrict non-citizens’ access to federal benefits (e.g., Medicaid, SNAP, premium tax credits), further impacting immigrant families.[](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-big-beautiful-bill-immigrants)[](https://www.business-standard.com/immigration/trump-s-one-big-beautiful-bill-immigrants-face-cuts-new-remittance-tax-125052200359_1.html)

### **Conclusion**

The visa and remittance provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act impose significant financial burdens on immigrants and those sending money abroad, with a $250 visa integrity fee, a $100 asylum fee, and a 1% remittance tax. While intended to fund immigration enforcement and discourage illegal immigration, these measures may reduce legal migration, tourism, and remittance flows, disproportionately affecting low-income individuals and developing economies. The exemptions for bank and card transfers offer some relief, but compliance costs and potential tax avoidance could limit revenue and shift transactions to informal channels. Check us out on X @re_think_tank

Love this topic! Thank you for the submission

I don't want the forum to be just me and Brian, so I'll have Will or someone transfer this to the Wheel of Topics page because we will definitely want this one featured!

Video Submission

Viewer: Garth

Topic: Know Your Home 

(clip of full video)