Planning to study, work, or travel to the US in 2025 is set to become significantly more expensive due to major changes in immigration rules. Visa-related costs have surged, including a one-time $100,000 fee for H-1B work petitions and several additional charges for international visitors.
The 2025 US immigration fee hike affects nearly all visa categories — from students and skilled professionals to tourists and green card applicants. The most notable change is the $100,000 H-1B petition fee, now mandatory for employers hiring foreign skilled workers under the H-1B program. This one-time fee applies only to new applicants, not renewals.
A new Visa Integrity Fee has also been introduced, applicable to all non-immigrant visas, including F-1 and J-1 student visas, B-1/B-2 tourist visas, and work-related categories. The fee was enacted under President Donald Trump’s immigration reform bill passed in July.
Work authorization costs have risen as well. The Employment Authorization Document (EAD) application fee is now $470 online and $520 for paper filings. Immigrants under asylum, TPS, or parole status, previously exempt, must now pay the full fee.
International travelers face additional charges at the border, including fees for CBP Form I-94, and increases for systems like ESTA and EVUS. The Visa Interview Waiver (Dropbox) has also been tightened: most applicants under 14 or over 79 must now attend in-person interviews, and H-1B and F-1 visa holders with recently expired visas are no longer eligible for the waiver starting September 2025.
Lastly, visa interviews must now be scheduled within the applicant’s consular district, reducing the flexibility previously available. These sweeping changes are set to make US study, work, and travel significantly more costly and procedural in 2025.
Revanth Reddy Mocks KTR’s Campaign as ‘Sree Leela’s Item Song’
Two of Telangana’s most prominent political figures, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and KTR, are once again locked in a heated verbal battle ahead of the Jubilee Hills by-election. Both leaders, known for their fiery rhetoric, are leaving no opportunity to take sharp digs at each other.
In a fresh jibe, Revanth Reddy has likened KTR’s election campaign in Jubilee Hills to Sree Leela’s item song from Pushpa 2.
“Item songs in films are meant to entertain audiences — they provide visual appeal but lack depth or relevance. Similarly, KTR’s campaign in Jubilee Hills feels like a gimmick. He’s roaming the streets waving his party kanduva and dancing for attention. Is this how a leader of Telangana should behave? Every time I see his campaign, I’m reminded of that Sree Leela song,” Revanth remarked during a press interaction.
KTR, during his campaign, has been seen performing energetic hand waves and dance gestures to lift the spirits of BRS cadres. However, the Chief Minister’s comparison has turned those gestures into a point of satire, intensifying the political heat in Jubilee Hills ahead of the crucial by-election.