New State Department rule would require $15,000 bond from some guests

• The U.S. will implement a 12-month pilot program requiring some guests to pay a bond of as much as $15,000 for a visa.
• The program targets guests from nations with excessive visa overstay charges or the place screening data is missing.
• Citizens of Canada, Mexico, and Visa Waiver Program nations are exempt.

Some guests to the U.S. could quickly must submit a bond of as much as $15,000 earlier than they’re granted a visa to go to the nation.

In a notice posted to the Federal Register on Monday, the State Department stated it might start a 12-month trial of visa bonds beginning in 15 days.

The requirement might apply to enterprise and leisure guests from nations the division identifies as “having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient,” in response to the discover.

The pilot program would require some visa candidates to submit a bond of $5,000-$15,000 to acquire a enterprise or vacationer visa to the U.S., and would require candidates to journey by way of sure U.S. airports, which haven’t but been introduced.

Citizens of Canada, Mexico, and nations which are a part of the Visa Waiver Program are exempt from the bond requirement.

For those that are required to submit a bond, funds shall be returned to vacationers in the event that they depart in accordance with the phrases of their visas.

An analogous pilot program was launched in November 2020 over the last months of President Donald Trump’s first time period in workplace, but it surely was not totally carried out as a result of drop in international journey related to the pandemic.

The State Department was unable to estimate the variety of visa candidates who may very well be affected by the change, and has not but disclosed which nations shall be lined by the pilot. Many of the nations focused by Trump’s journey ban even have excessive charges of visa overstays, together with Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar and Yemen.

“In line with an America First Foreign Policy, fully enforcing U.S. immigration laws bolsters American security, promotes lawful travel, and ensures foreign visitors depart the United States on time and in accordance with the terms of their visas,” a State Department spokesperson advised USA TODAY in a press release.

Numerous nations in Africa, together with Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo, additionally had excessive overstay charges, in response to U.S. Customs and Border Protection knowledge from fiscal yr 2023.

Contributing: Reuters

(This story was up to date so as to add new data.)

Zach Wichter is a journey reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is predicated in New York and you’ll attain him at zwichter@usatoday.com.