The US State Department announced on Monday that some visa applicants will soon have to pay bonds of up to $15,000, as part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to curb immigration.
Later this month, the pilot programme will begin, requiring applicants from selected countries to pay a bond of no less than $5,000 as a condition for obtaining a visa. This sum will act as collateral, refundable only if the applicant complies fully with the visa’s terms.
If the visa holder overstays their permitted period in the United States, the bond will be forfeited.
“Consular officers may require covered non-immigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000,” the department stated in a notice due for publication in the Federal Register on Tuesday.
The twelve-month pilot will target nationals from countries with “high visa overstay rates,” according to a 2023 Department of Homeland Security report.
The State Department also indicated that applicants from countries lacking sufficient screening and vetting mechanisms, or those that grant citizenship without a residency requirement, may be included in the programme.
“The pilot reinforces the Trump Administration’s commitment to enforcing US immigration laws and safeguarding national security,” a State Department spokesperson told AFP.
However, neither the spokesperson nor the notice revealed which countries would be affected.
Set to commence on 20 August, the scheme will apply to B-1 and B-2 non-immigrant visa categories, typically used for business and tourism. Those required to post bonds must enter and exit the US through pre-approved airports.
Since Trump returned to the White House in January, his administration has introduced stricter immigration measures.
The State Department defended the scheme as “a key pillar of the Trump Administration’s foreign policy to protect the United States from the clear national security threat posed by visa overstays.”