Budget Law Imposes New "I-94 Fee"
Executive Summary. H.R.1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" signed into law on July 4, 2025, imposes a new fee of at least $24 on "any alien who submits an application for a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record." Nonimmigrants are issued an electronic Form I-94 that reflects their class of admission (e.g., F-1, J-1, H-1B, etc.) and duration of admission (e.g. "duration of status" for F and J nonimmigrants, a date-specific period of admission for most other nonimmigrants). The Form I-94 is also one of the documents that nonimmigrants must carry on their person as evidence of "registration" (see NAFSA's page on the requirement to carry a registration document.)
NAFSA note: The budget bill also establishes other immigration fees. See NAFSA's page Budget Law Imposes New Immigration Fees.
Source. H.R.1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" signed into law on July 4, 2025.
- See TITLE X, Subtitle A, Part I, Section 100008, Form I-94 Fee, One Big Beautiful Bill Act, H.R.1, 119th Cong. (July 4, 2025)
- The immigration fee portions of HR-1 are codified at 8 USC Chapter 16, Sections 1801 et seq.
Scope and effective date. In a General Notice published at 90 FR 42025 (August 28, 2025) CBP announced that it began assessing the HR-1 fee for Form I-94 at land border ports of entry fee on September 30, 2025:
- Application for Form I-94 at land border ports of entry: $30 (current land border fee of $6 + HR-1 fee of $24 = $30 total)
The law levies the new $24 Form I-94 fee on any individual "who submits an application for a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record." CBP clarified in the notice that "CBP will not assess a fee for aliens arriving at an air or sea port of entry because such aliens are not required to submit an application for a CBP Form I-94."
The fee will be adjusted annually for inflation starting in FY 2026 with reference to the Consumer Price Index. The law does not allow this fee to be reduced or waived.
Collection Mechanism. During each fiscal year, 20% of fee revenue will be deposited into the "Land Border Inspection Fee Account" and be made available to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for processing Forms I-94. The remainder will be deposited into U.S. Treasury's general fund.
Effective Date. The statute is effective as of the date it was signed into law, July 4, 2025, but CBP began collecting the fee starting September 30, 2025, as announced in a notice published at 90 FR 42025 (August 28, 2025)