United States: DHS Announces Implementation of New Fees for ESTA, EVUS, and Land Border I-94 Forms, Starting September 30
August 28, 2025
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At a glance
- Starting September 30, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will implement new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) fees authorized by the H.R. 1 budget reconciliation legislation passed by Congress in July.
- The ESTA application fee for B-1/B-2 travel under the Visa Waiver program will increase to $40, from $21.
- A new fee of $30 will be imposed on EVUS applicants, the online travel authorization system for Chinese B-1/B-2 visa holders.
- A fee of $24 will be added to the existing $6 fee for land border Forms I-94, resulting in a total fee of $30.
The issue
Starting September 30, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin collecting new fees enacted by the budget reconciliation bill (H.R.1) passed by Congress in early July, according to a Federal Register (FR) notice. The notice implements the new fees for the following applications and programs:
- Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application: The new ESTA fee will be $40, increased from $21. ESTA authorization is required for B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourist) visitor travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
- Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) authorization: A new fee of $30 will be collected for EVUS authorization. Currently, there is no fee for EVUS, which is an online advance authorization system for Chinese B-1 and/or B-2 visa holders seeking to travel to the United States.
- Land border Form I-94 applications: The new total fee for land border Form I-94 applications will be $30 (existing $6 fee, plus the additional H.R. 1 fee of $24). It will continue to be the case that foreign nationals arriving at a land border CBP port of entry must apply for a Form I-94, but there is no I-94 fee for foreign nationals arriving at an air or sea port of entry.
These are the CBP H.R.1 fees for fiscal year 2025, which ends September 30, 2025. H.R.1 authorizes annual adjustments to these fees, based on inflation indexes.
What’s next
CBP will begin implementing the new ESTA, EVUS, and land border I-94 fees on September 30.
In a prior announcement implementing H.R. 1 USCIS fees, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed it is working towards the implementation of the remaining H.R. 1 fees, including the “visa integrity fee” that will be applied at U.S. consulates for nonimmigrant visa issuance, and fees related to Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
