The article says that this fee will be refunded after the visa expires. For many people who have had B1/B2 visas, they usually get a 10-year multiple entry visa

The article says that this fee will be refunded after the visa expires. For many people who have had B1/B2 visas, they usually get a 10-year multiple entry visa (during subsequent applications). For this group, it means they may get the refund after the 10-year period. That’s a very long interest free loan to the government of another country. As stated a few times in the article, most of this money isn’t getting back to the people who paid it.