'This was not a thoughtful exercise': US Travel Association CEO on new $250 visa fee to visit US

The United States will require international visitors to pay a new “visa integrity fee” of at least $250, added to existing visa costs, according to a provision in the Trump administration’s recently enacted domestic policy bill.
The fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain nonimmigrant visas to enter the United States. This includes many leisure and business travelers, international students and other temporary visitors. In fiscal year 2024, the US issued nearly 11 million nonimmigrant visas, according to State Department figures.

The U.S. Travel Association, a national nonprofit organization aimed at increasing travel to and within the United States, praised other parts of the domestic policy bill that would invest in modernizing customs and air traffic control, but called the new visa fee “a giant leap backwards.” According to U.S. Travel’s calculation, the fee would boost the “upfront costs” of visiting the US by 144%.

CNN's Richard Quest speaks with U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman on "Quest Means Business." #CNN #News