WASHINGTON: The United States plans to introduce a pilot program requiring some tourist and business visa applicants to post bonds of up to \$15,000, according to a government notice issued Monday. The policy, aimed at deterring visa overstays, will take effect on August 20 and is expected to run for approximately one year.
US consular officers will have the discretion to demand bonds from applicants from countries with high overstay rates or limited screening information. The available bond amounts are $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, with $10,000 expected to be the standard amount.
Travelers who follow the terms of their visas will have their bonds refunded. A similar initiative was announced in November 2020 during Donald Trump’s presidency but remained unimplemented due to pandemic-related travel disruptions.
The new policy aligns with Trump’s broader immigration agenda, which has included border security enhancements and travel bans affecting 19 nations. Countries with high overstay rates include Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, and Yemen, as well as several African states such as Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo.
In a related move, a provision in the Republican-led Congress’s July spending package introduces a \$250 “visa integrity fee” for approved non-immigrant visas. The fee, which may be reimbursed for those who comply with visa conditions, will be enforced from October 1.
