The U.S. State Department has announced a new pilot program that will require certain foreign visitors to pay a visa bond of up to $15,000. The initiative is intended to curb the number of travelers who overstay their visas “or where screening and vetting information is considered deficient,” as per the notice published by the department.
This 12-month pilot program to effect from August 20 would target applicants for business and tourist visas. But it did not mention which countries would fall under this pilot initiative. While the U.S. State Department notice reads: “Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the Department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering Citizenship by Investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program.”
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Data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, as given out by Reuters, mentions that countries like Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, Yemen, Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo have consistently recorded high rates of visa overstays.
The notice further mentioned, “consular officers may require covered non-immigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.”
Under this new initiative, travelers will be required to pay a bond starting at $5,000. This amount will be refunded if the visitor complies with the terms of their visa and leaves the U.S. on time. However, overstaying the allowed period will result in the forfeiture of the entire bond. Furthermore, it restricts both entry and departure to a limited number of pre-selected airports in the United States for those required to pay the bond.
The policy applies specifically to B-1 and B-2 visa applicants, who will be required to enter and exit the U.S. through designated airports. While the State Department hasn’t provided an estimate of how many travelers will be impacted, a spokesperson indicated that both the list of eligible countries and the selection criteria could update in the future.
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“The pilot reinforces the Trump administration’s commitment to enforcing U.S. immigration laws and safeguarding U.S. national security,” a state department spokesperson said, as noted in Hindustan Times.
Since taking office in January, Trump has moved swiftly to tighten immigration policies. He rolled back key humanitarian programs for migrants already living in the U.S. and issued travel bans targeting foreign nationals from 12 countries with partial restrictions placed on seven more. His administration also cracked down on international students by revoking visas for hundreds and detaining several others on college campuses. The State Department defended these actions, claiming they were aimed at individuals engaged in activities that “run counter” to U.S. national interests.