The United States is set to demand $15000 bonds from individuals seeking a visit visa to curb overstays in the United States. The US is launching a pilot visa bond program in two weeks that could require certain tourists and business travelers to post bonds of up to $15000.
The US government notified it today, stating that the initiative aims to reduce visa overstays and tighten immigration enforcement.
Under the program, US consular officers will have the discretion to impose bonds on applicants from countries with high rates of visa overstays or those where screening and vetting procedures are deemed inadequate, the notice stated.
Crackdown on Overstays and Security Concerns
The program, effective August 20 and expected to run for approximately one year, is part of a broader effort to curb illegal immigration. Visitors required to post a bond will face one of three levels: $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, with officers generally encouraged to impose at least the $10,000 threshold.
This initiative aligns with the hardline immigration stance taken by former President Donald Trump, who prioritized border security and the removal of undocumented immigrants during his time in office. In June, he implemented a travel ban affecting citizens from 19 countries on national security grounds.
Travel Impact and Previous Attempts
Trump’s immigration policies have contributed to a decline in international travel to the US. In May, transatlantic airfares dropped to pre-pandemic levels, and travel from neighboring Canada and Mexico declined by 20% compared to the previous year.
A similar visa bond program was announced in November 2020 during Trump’s final months in office but was not fully executed due to the global travel slowdown caused by COVID-19.
The State Department has not provided estimates on how many travelers might be affected by the new program.
However, many of the countries impacted by the 2020 travel ban — such as Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, and Yemen — also record high visa overstay rates.
Additionally, data from US Customs and Border Protection shows that several African nations, including Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo, had elevated overstay rates in fiscal year 2023.
