U.S. TO REQUIRE UP TO $15,000 BOND FOR SOME TOURIST AND BUSINESS VISAS IN NEW PILOT PROGRAM
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The United States will begin requiring bonds of up to $15,000 for certain tourist and business visa applicants starting August 20, under a new pilot program aimed at curbing visa overstays, according to a government notice released Monday.
The initiative grants U.S. consular officers discretion to impose the bonds on travelers from countries with high rates of visa overstays or insufficient screening and vetting procedures. The bonds, set at $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, will generally default to at least $10,000 and will be refunded if the traveler departs the U.S. within the terms of their visa.
The policy, set to last for one year, revives a similar but largely unimplemented program introduced in November 2020 during the final months of former President Donald Trump’s administration. That program was suspended due to the sharp drop in global travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said countries will be selected based on a combination of factors including overstay rates, deficiencies in security screening, use of investor citizenship programs without residency requirements, and broader foreign policy considerations. The list of affected countries may be updated over time.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection data from fiscal year 2023 show that several countries in Africa including Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo had among the highest overstay rates, potentially placing their nationals within the scope of the new policy.
Additionally, a provision passed in July by the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress will impose a separate \$250 “visa integrity fee” on all approved non-immigrant visa holders. Set to take effect on October 1, the fee may be reimbursed to travelers who fully comply with visa conditions.
U.S. Travel, the national tourism association, expressed concern over the mounting costs of entry, warning that “if implemented, the U.S. will have one of, if not the highest, visitor visa fees in the world,” which could deter international travelers.
The bond program is the latest in a series of immigration and travel policies under the Trump-era influence aimed at tightening border controls and reducing illegal immigration.
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