US, Australia Hike Visa Fee: How Will It Impact Indian Students?

By Ankita Mall July 22, 2025 Jul 22, 2025 ankitamall

On July 4, 2025, US President Trump signed the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ which includes a Visa Integrity Fee of $250 for all the visitors who need non-immigrant visas to enter the United States of America.

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The Visa Integrity Fee is an additional charge designed as a security deposit, which may be refunded later under certain criteria. This fee of $250, on top of all the existing visa fees, will certainly add a financial burden to Indian students in the US.

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For Indian students, the visa application costs $185 in the USA, however, with the introduction of Visa Integrity Fee, this cost will increase approximately 2.5 times. While this additional Visa fee is refundable, the conditions and process for reimbursement is not easy.

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Apart from the US, Australia has also increased its Visa Application Fee for students under Subclass 500, from July 1, 2025. Earlier the base application fee was AUD 1600 which is now increased up to AUD 2000.

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With the hike in student visa fee, Australia has now become the most expensive study destination among major English-language countries in the world.

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The UK has also increased its student visa fee to £524, effective from April 9, 2025. However, Canada’ Study permit fee has remained unchanged at C$150, making it a budget-friendly study destination for the Indian students.

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Similar to Canada, Germany and France have not altered their students visa fees in the recent past. Germany charges €75 as student visa fee while France does not have any student visa fee or a modest consular charge of €50.

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The hiked student visa fees, especially in the USA and Australia, will definitely impact Indian students financially. The number of Indian students planning to study in the US, UK and Australia may opt for relatively affordable countries like Canada, Germany and France.

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