These rules will change from August 15, it will affect everything from travel to banking, know the complete details

Major Rule Changes from August 15: SBI Transaction Fees, New FASTag Pass, and US Immigration Policy Shift

New Delhi, August 14, 2025 — From August 15, 2025, several significant changes will take effect in India and abroad, impacting banking services, road travel, and immigration rules. The State Bank of India (SBI) is revising its IMPS transaction charges, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is introducing an annual FASTag pass, and the United States is implementing a new immigration policy that could affect children of H-1B visa holders.

SBI Revises IMPS Transaction Charges

The country’s largest public sector bank, State Bank of India, has announced a revision in Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) charges for its retail customers, effective August 15, 2025. The updated fee structure applies to both online and branch transactions.

Under the new rules, transactions up to ₹25,000 will remain free of charge. For amounts above this limit, the following charges will apply:

• Up to ₹25,000: No charges

• ₹25,001 to ₹1 lakh: ₹2 + GST

• ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh: ₹6 + GST

• ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh: ₹10 + GST

The bank has also clarified that certain special account holders, such as defence personnel, police employees, railway staff under the salary package, corporate salary package holders, and startup account holders, will be exempt from these charges.

IMPS, operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is a real-time digital payment service that allows 24×7 instant money transfers, even on bank holidays. At SBI, the maximum transfer limit via IMPS is ₹5 lakh per transaction.

NHAI Launches Annual FASTag Pass

In a move to make highway travel faster and more convenient, the National Highways Authority of India will launch an annual FASTag pass starting August 15, 2025.

Priced at ₹3,000, this new pass will allow private, non-commercial vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans to travel seamlessly on NHAI-managed national highways and expressways without repeated toll deductions for a year.

Only vehicles registered in the central vehicle database and operating on highways managed by NHAI or the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will be eligible. Officials say the pass will help reduce long queues at toll plazas and improve traffic flow on major routes.

US Immigration Rule Change for H-1B Visa Holders’ Children

While India sees banking and travel reforms, the United States is set to enforce a major immigration policy shift that could have serious consequences for Indian families.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will update its Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) rules from August 15, 2025. Under the revised policy, children of H-1B visa holders will lose their “protected status” as soon as they turn 21, even if their green card applications are still pending.

Previously, CSPA provisions allowed some protection for these children, enabling them to retain eligibility despite processing delays. With the change, many young adults who have lived in the US for most of their lives may be forced to change their visa status or leave the country once they age out.

Immigration experts warn that this could particularly impact Indian families, as they form a large share of H-1B visa holders in the US. The backlog for green cards for Indian nationals can stretch for decades, making the new rule especially challenging.

What These Changes Mean for You

From August 15, citizens will need to adjust to these policy shifts:

• Banking customers should review SBI’s new IMPS fee structure and plan transactions accordingly to avoid additional charges.

• Frequent highway travelers can consider purchasing the annual FASTag pass to save both money and time at toll plazas.

• Indian families in the US must seek immigration advice to prepare for the CSPA changes, especially if their children are nearing 21.

With changes spanning finance, travel, and immigration, August 15, 2025, will mark more than just India’s Independence Day — it will also be the start of new rules affecting millions at home and abroad.