The US government plans to require citizens from certain countries traveling there as tourists or for business to pay a deposit of up to $15,000 when they obtain a visa.
This measure aims to ensure that travelers “fulfill the terms of their visas and depart the United States in a timely manner,” the official US Federal Register notice states.
This measure comes into effect on August 20 and will initially be tested as a pilot project for about 12 months.
Those affected will be citizens from countries that have high rates of illegal overstays after visa expiration.
A 2023 Department of Homeland Security report lists Chad, Eritrea, Myanmar, Yemen, and Haiti as such countries.
Visa Waiver Program citizens are not affected.
Citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program are not affected by the new rule.
The 42 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program include most EU countries.
Citizens of these countries can stay in the United States without a visa for up to 90 days.
Amount of guarantee, competence of consulates
According to the US government, the amount that must be paid as a guarantee will be decided by US consulate employees, and they can be $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000.
Anyone who violates the visa conditions will not have the money held as a deposit returned.
And the deposits held can be used to cover the US government’s costs for deportation proceedings.
The new rule is part of the Trump administration’s measures to tighten requirements for visa applicants.
The idea of a visa bond has been proposed before, but the State Department has been opposed to this requirement due to the complicated process of depositing and returning the bond, as well as the misperceptions it could create among the public.