Visa Fees to Spike for Applicants from Certain Countries Under New 'FIRM Act'

The "Fee Increases for Reckless Mismanagement Act of 2025," or FIRM Act, is set to hike visa application fees for people from countries that don't play ball with U.S. deportation policies, are tagged as state sponsors of terrorism, or are on the lowest tier of the State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report. This means that if your country isn't cooperating, you're going to pay more to apply for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa.

Hitting 'Em Where It Hurts

The core of the FIRM Act is pretty straightforward: make it more expensive for people from certain countries to apply for visas. The size of the fee increase depends on how many black marks a country has:

• One Strike: If a country is on any one of the lists (refusing deportees, sponsoring terrorism, or Tier 3 for human trafficking), their citizens face a minimum 50% increase in visa application fees. (SEC. 2)
• Two Strikes: If a country hits two of those criteria, the fee goes up by at least 100%. (SEC. 2)
• Three Strikes: If a country is on all three lists, applicants are looking at a minimum 150% fee increase. (SEC. 2)

For example, if a standard visa application fee is currently $200, a 50% increase bumps it to $300, a 100% increase to $400, and a 150% increase to $500. This could significantly impact students, workers, and families trying to come to the U.S. from those countries.

Monthly Check-Ins and Real World Impact

The Secretary of State will be doing a monthly review to see if any countries should be added or removed from the fee-hike list. (SEC. 2) This means the list of affected countries could change frequently, creating some uncertainty for potential applicants. It also gives the Secretary of State a fair bit of power to adjust fees based on current events and diplomatic relations.

Imagine a small business owner from a country suddenly added to the list. They might have to postpone or cancel business trips to the U.S., impacting their ability to make deals or attend industry conferences. Or consider a student accepted to a U.S. university who now faces a much larger financial hurdle just to apply for the visa.

The Bigger Picture

This law aims to put pressure on countries to cooperate with U.S. policies on deportation, terrorism, and human trafficking. While the goal is to incentivize better behavior, there are potential downsides. The increased fees could create a barrier for legitimate travelers, and there is also a chance that countries might respond by increasing fees for U.S. citizens traveling abroad. The monthly review, while intended to provide flexibility, could make the process feel arbitrary or politically motivated, depending on how it's implemented.