$15,000 Bond Compulsory to US Visit Even Issued Visa

The State Department said Monday some visa applicants will soon be required to pay bonds of up to USD 15,000 to discourage visa overstays as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on migration.

Starting later this month, the pilot program will require applicants from certain countries to pay a sum of "no less than USD 5,000" as collateral for the issuance of their visa.

The funds will be returned if the applicant complies with all visa terms. If the applicant remains in the US past the deadline, the funds will be forfeited. "Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to USD 15,000 as a condition of visa issuance," the agency said in a notice to be published Tuesday in the Federal Register.

The 12-month program would only affect foreign nationals from countries considered to have "high visa overstay rates" based on a 2023 Department of Homeland Security report, the notice said.

Bond payments will also be required by applicants from countries "where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient," the notice added, as well as those who were granted citizenship without a residency requirement.

"The pilot reinforces the Trump Administration's commitment to enforcing immigration laws and safeguarding national security," a State Department spokesperson said in response to an AFP inquiry. Neither the notice nor the spokesperson specified which countries would be impacted by the new rule.

The program, which will begin on 20 August, will apply to B-1 or B-2 nonimmigrant visas, and those asked to pay bonds will have to enter and depart from the United States from a list of pre-selected airports. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump and his administration have cracked down on migration to the United States.

The State Department justified the launch of the pilot program by calling it "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."

Which countries will be affected

The State Department said on August 5 that the policy would apply first to citizens of Malawi and Zambia. Starting August 20, applicants for B-1, B-2 business and tourist visas from Malawi and Zambia will be required to pay a deposit of up to $15,000, said department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.

Additional countries will be added to the list later if they have high visa overstay rates, weak screening and verification processes, or if they operate a “citizenship by investment” program. The list is subject to change throughout the program.