What We Know About the U.S. Visa Bond Program That May Require Up to $15,000

The U.S. State Department is proposing a new rule that would require some applicants for business and tourist visas to post bonds of up to $15,000, a move that could significantly increase the financial burden for travelers from countries with high rates of visa overstays.

In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, August 5, the department said:

“In this temporary final rule (TFR), the Department of State (the Department) announces the commencement of a 12-month long visa bond pilot program. 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. Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.”

The Department also added: “DATES: This TFR and pilot program are effective [INSERT DATE 15 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].”

The initiative is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to tighten immigration controls and impose stricter vetting requirements. Officials stated that the purpose of the bond is to ensure the U.S. government does not bear financial liability if a visitor fails to comply with the terms of their visa.

Last week, the State Department also announced a change requiring many visa renewal applicants to undergo in-person interviews, even if they were previously exempt from that step. The department is also proposing that all entrants to the Diversity Visa Lottery possess valid passports from their country of citizenship at the time of application.

These policy shifts reflect the administration’s continued efforts to reduce the risk of visa fraud and unauthorized immigration through tighter procedural requirements.

Read full notice here

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