News India Times

www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Immigration U.S. To Start Charging $250 Visa Fee – Refundable If You Follow The Rules -WASHINGTON, D.C., July 24, 2025 I f you’re planning to visit or move to the U.S. on a visa, get ready for a new $250 fee . This is part of a new law backed by President Donald Trump, often called the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The fee is being called the “Visa Integrity Fee” , and it’s meant to encourage visa holders to follow the rules. WHAT IS THE NEW $250 VISA FEE? The $250 fee will be added to most non-immigrant U.S. visas , such as: • Tourist visas (B1/B2) • Student visas (F-1, J-1) • Temporary work visas (H-1B, L-1, etc.) • It will be paid upfront when your visa is issued. • It is refundable — but only if you follow the visa rules. That means: • You leave the U.S. on time • You don’t work illegally • You don’t overstay your visa WHEN WILL THIS START? • The law is already passed, but the government is still figuring out how to collect the fee . • It could start later in 2025 or early 2026. • Nothing needs to be paid yet — the official process isn’t active. WHO HAS TO PAY? • Anyone from a country that needs a visa to enter the U.S. (most of the world). • People from visa-free countries (like most of Europe under ESTA) won’t pay this fee, but other travel fees are going up too. • Canadians and Bermudans are mostly exempt. WILL I REALLY GET MY $250 BACK? • In theory, yes — but you’ll need to apply for a refund after your visa ends and prove you followed the rules. • As of now, there is no refund system in place . Experts say it could take a long time or be difficult to get your money back. OTHER NEW FEES This new law raises more fees, including: • ESTA (visa waiver program): from $21 to $40 • I-94 (travel record): from $6 to $24 New fees for special programs like: • Temporary Protected Status (TPS): $500 • Humanitarian parole: $1,000 • Asylum applicants: $100/yea r WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? • The goal is to make sure visa holders follow immigra- tion laws. • Supporters say it helps protect American jobs and border security. • Critics say it could hurt tourism and international students, and make U.S. travel too expensive. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? • If you’re applying for a U.S. visa later this year or next, plan for the extra $250 fee. • Keep records of your travel and visa compliance if you want to apply for a refund in the future. Bottom Line: You’ll soon have to pay a $250 refundable visa fee if you’re coming to the U.S. frommost countries. It’s meant to be a “deposit” to make sure you follow the rules. But be prepared — getting that money back might not be easy. By a StaffWriter Former Bay Area Insurance Executive Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Commit Insurance Fraud Fraud Resulted in Collapse of Two Insurance Companies and Over $20 Million in Losses July 18, 2025, OAKLAND F ormer insurance executive Jasbir Thandi pleaded guilty in federal court today for his role in fraud schemes that led to the collapse of two insurance companies, Global Hawk Risk Retention Group (Global Hawk) and Houston General Insurance Exchange (HGIE). Thandi, 69, of San Francisco, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 16, 2023. In pleading guilty, Thandi admitted to two counts of conspiracy to commit insur- ance fraud. According to court documents and the plea agree- ment, Thandi founded Global Century Insurance Brokers, an insurance brokerage based in Livermore, Calif., which helped manage the insurance business of Global Hawk. Beginning no later than May 2018, Thandi and his co- conspirators conspired to create fraudulent financial records, including bank and brokerage records, that falsely overstated the amount of insurance capital and reserves held by Global Hawk, which were submitted to the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, Global Hawk’s insurance regulator. In May 2020, after regulators discovered the fraud, Global Hawk was declared insolvent and liquidated. Thandi misappropriated more than $1.5 million in Global Hawk funds for personal use, including the pur- chase of a house and a luxury vehicle. He also bought and sold stocks using Global Hawk funds that were required by law to be maintained as insurance reserves to cover future losses or insurance claims. Thandi also admitted that in August 2016, he obtained a $6.4 million line of credit, later increased to $14 million, on behalf of Global Hawk, which the company’s board of directors had not authorized. Around March 2017, Thandi applied for a second line of credit in the name of Global Hawk in the amount of $14.75 million, again mis- representing that the line of credit had been authorized by the board of directors. In addition, Thandi admitted to engaging in a similar fraud conspiracy with HGIE, a Texas-domiciled insurance company. Thandi and his co-conspirators created fraudu- lent financial documents that were used to create false financial statements submitted to the Texas Department of Insurance on behalf of HGIE. These false documents included bank statements and brokerage statements that falsely represented that HGIE had millions of dollars in insurance reserves and capital assets. These false finan- cial documents were used to deceive the Texas Depart- ment of Insurance into believing that HGIE had more assets and monies than it in fact had, and to conceal the fact that HGIE did not have the capital reserves required by Texas law. “Thandi and his co-conspirators’ scheme was far- reaching and had devastating financial consequences, including the collapse of two insurance companies and millions in losses to hundreds of victims. Together with our law enforcement partners, we work tirelessly to ensure that individuals who commit insurance and other forms of fraud are held accountable and this case is an important example of our efforts,” said United States At- torney Craig H. Missakian. “Today’s guilty plea reflects the FBI’s commitment to holding accountable those who manipulate financial records and abuse positions of trust for personal gain. By misrepresenting assets and misappropriating funds, Thandi not only misled regulators but also defrauded his company’s customers,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. “The FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who exploit con- sumers through corporate fraud.” “Criminals who would use the U.S. mail to commit fraud should know that postal inspectors and our federal law enforcement partners remain committed to protect- ing the public from financial crime,” said U.S. Postal In- spection Service (USPIS), San Francisco Division Inspec- tor in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood. Thandi is the fourth and final defendant to plead guilty to charges related to these insurance fraud schemes. Co- defendants Sandeep Sahota, Jaspreet Padda, and Gunjan Aggarwal all previously entered guilty pleas to the same charges. Thandi is currently released on bail. He is next sched- uled to appear in district court on Aug. 29, 2025, for a sta- tus hearing on sentencing before U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar. Defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. The Department of Justice is notifying identified vic- tims of these crimes through the Department of Justice Victim Notification System (VNS). If you believe you are a victim and have not received communication from the VNS at notify@usdoj.gov , please contact the Mega Victim Case Assistance Program (MCAP) toll free number 1-844- 527-5299 (Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Eastern), or send an email to USAEO.MCAP@usdoj. gov. Assistant U.S. Attorneys DavidWard and Evan Mateer are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and USPIS. By U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California Community News India Times (July 26, 2025 - August 1, 2025) August 1, 2025 8