PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 11, 2025
Fee Increases for Reckless Mismanagement Act of 2025 or FIRM Act of 2025
This bill requires the Department of State to increase the fee for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants (i.e., those who are visiting temporarily for business or pleasure) who are nationals of certain countries. In particular, the State Department must increase the fee on the nationals of a country if the State Department determines that the government of the country has denied or delayed the acceptance of certain non-U.S. nationals, if the State Department has designated the country as a state sponsor of international terrorism, or if the country is not meeting certain standards for combating human trafficking.
The fee increases with each of the criteria the country meets. The State Department must evaluate countries based on the criteria monthly and adjust the fee accordingly.
People & committees
Rep. Wagner, Ann [R-MO-2] · R–MO
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jan 5, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-11 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
Under this proposal, people applying abroad for the specified U.S. visa would face higher fees if their country of nationality meets a listed condition. The bill identifies the visa category by reference to section 101(a)(15)(B); the supplied text does not define that category. The country conditions involve denial or unreasonable delay in accepting an alien, designation as a state sponsor of international terrorism, or a tier 3 listing in the most recent Trafficking in Persons report. Minimum fee increases would be 50%, 100%, or 150%, depending on how many conditions apply. The Secretary of State would review country determinations monthly.
The Secretary of State shall increase the fee imposed under section 281 on an alien filing an application abroad for a visa authorizing admission to the United States as a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(B) in accordance with subsection (b) for any alien who is a national of a country with respect to which the Secretary determines any of the following:
(1) The Secretary of Homeland Security has reported to the Secretary of State under section 243(d) that the government of the country has denied or unreasonably delayed accepting an alien who is a citizen, subject, national, or resident of that country after the Secretary of Homeland Security asked whether the government would accept the alien. (2) The Secretary of State has designated the country as a state sponsor of international terrorism (as such term is defined in section 214(c)(4)(F)(ii)). (3) The country is listed as a tier 3 country in the most recent Trafficking in Persons report of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons of the Department of State.
(1) If the Secretary determines that the country meets one of the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall increase such fee by not less than 50 percent. (2) If the Secretary determines that the country meets two of the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall increase such fee by not less than 100 percent. (3) If the Secretary determines that the country meets three of the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall increase such fee by not less than 150 percent.
On the first day of each month, the Secretary shall review the determinations under subsection (a), to determine whether any increase imposed should be reduced, or whether an increase should be imposed on nationals of any additional countries.
Section 2 would add a new section 281A to the Immigration and Nationality Act. It would require the Secretary of State to increase the section 281 fee for applicants filing abroad under the visa category in section 101(a)(15)(B), when the Secretary determines that their country of nationality meets a listed criterion.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 281 the following: 281A. Fee increase for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants
The Secretary of State shall increase the fee imposed under section 281 on an alien filing an application abroad for a visa authorizing admission to the United States as a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(B) in accordance with subsection (b) for any alien who is a national of a country with respect to which the Secretary determines any of the following:
The first country criterion would apply when the Secretary of Homeland Security has reported to the Secretary of State under section 243(d) that a government denied or unreasonably delayed accepting an alien who is that country’s citizen, subject, national, or resident, after the Secretary of Homeland Security asked whether it would accept the alien.
(1) The Secretary of Homeland Security has reported to the Secretary of State under section 243(d) that the government of the country has denied or unreasonably delayed accepting an alien who is a citizen, subject, national, or resident of that country after the Secretary of Homeland Security asked whether the government would accept the alien.
The second country criterion would apply when the Secretary of State has designated the country as a state sponsor of international terrorism, using the definition referenced in section 214(c)(4)(F)(ii).
(2) The Secretary of State has designated the country as a state sponsor of international terrorism (as such term is defined in section 214(c)(4)(F)(ii)).
The third country criterion would apply to countries listed in tier 3, a classification in the State Department’s most recent Trafficking in Persons report. The supplied text does not define that classification.
(3) The country is listed as a tier 3 country in the most recent Trafficking in Persons report of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons of the Department of State.
The required fee increase would be at least 50% for one applicable country criterion, at least 100% for two, and at least 150% for all three. These are minimum increases, rather than fixed increases or dollar amounts.
(b) Amount of increase The Secretary shall increase the fee described in subsection (a) as follows: (1) If the Secretary determines that the country meets one of the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall increase such fee by not less than 50 percent. (2) If the Secretary determines that the country meets two of the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall increase such fee by not less than 100 percent. (3) If the Secretary determines that the country meets three of the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall increase such fee by not less than 150 percent.
On the first day of every month, the Secretary of State would have to review country determinations to decide whether existing increases should be reduced or increases should apply to nationals of additional countries.
(c) Periodic review On the first day of each month, the Secretary shall review the determinations under subsection (a), to determine whether any increase imposed should be reduced, or whether an increase should be imposed on nationals of any additional countries.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated January 5, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on the Judiciary on February 11, 2025. This snapshot does not establish any later legislative outcome.
Source snapshot updated 2026-01-05T17:59:23Z. 2025-02-11: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 2025-02-11: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-11. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials; formal earmark disclosures are not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow benefit, preferential exemption, or special carve-out was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jan 5, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI