US To Charge $15,000 Visa Bond For Some Tourists Soon

The United States government is planning a new rule that will affect some people who want to visit the country for tourism or business. The rule is part of a pilot program announced by the US State Department and is set to begin on August 20. Under this program, some foreign nationals applying for a B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visa may be asked to pay a visa bond of up to $15,000 before getting their visa approved.

This new step has been introduced to help reduce the number of visitors who overstay their visas—meaning people who come legally but don’t leave when they are supposed to.

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Why Is This New Rule Being Introduced?

The US government, under President Donald Trump’s administration, has been working to tighten immigration laws since Trump returned to office in January. One of the main concerns has been the number of people who do not leave the US after their visa expires. This is called a visa overstay.

According to reports from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), there are certain countries where people are more likely to overstay their visas. To help fix this problem, the new rule will ask some visitors from those countries to pay a bond—a type of deposit—that they will lose if they don’t leave the country on time.

What Is a Visa Bond?

A visa bond is a sum of money that travelers will have to pay to the US government before receiving their visa. The minimum bond amount is $5,000, but it can go up to $15,000 depending on the situation. If the traveler follows all the visa rules and leaves the US on time, the money will be given back to them. But if they stay beyond the allowed period, they will lose the full amount.

This is meant to discourage people from overstaying and to make sure visitors follow immigration rules.

Who Will Be Affected by This New Rule?

This rule will not affect all tourists or business travelers. It will only apply to certain people from countries that have been marked as “high-risk” for visa overstays.

The US State Department has not shared the exact list of countries yet. However, based on past data from the DHS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the countries that may be affected include:

• Chad

• Eritrea

• Haiti

• Myanmar

• Yemen

• Burundi

• Djibouti

• Togo

These countries have shown high visa overstay rates in previous years. People from these countries who apply for a B-1 or B-2 visa may be required to pay the bond.

Additionally, countries may also be selected if they:

• Have weak screening and vetting processes

• Allow people to buy citizenship without living in the country

• Have foreign policy concerns with the US

The list may change over time as the program continues.

How Will This Program Work?

The new 12-month pilot program will begin on August 20 and will last for one year. Here's how it will work:

• Only applicants for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas from selected countries will be considered.

• A US consular officer may decide whether the applicant must pay a bond.

• The bond amount will be between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on the case.

• If the visitor leaves on time, they will get their money back.

• If they overstay, the US government will keep the full amount.

• Travelers under this program must use specific airports in the US to enter and leave the country.

This means that not only will travelers have to pay more, but they’ll also have limited travel options.

What Has the Trump Administration Said?

A spokesperson for the US State Department said that this program shows the Trump administration’s strong position on immigration. The rule is being described as a national security measure to protect the US from the risks that come with visa overstays.

In the official notice, the program is referred to as a “key pillar” of foreign policy under Trump, aimed at reducing illegal stay and enforcing immigration laws more strictly.

This isn’t the first time the idea was introduced. A similar pilot program was approved in November 2020 during Trump’s first term. However, that plan was not fully carried out because of the COVID-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions.

Will This Affect a Lot of People?

According to the US Travel Association, the number of people affected by this new rule is expected to be very small. Only around 2,000 visa applicants may fall under this rule because the program is aimed at countries with low travel volume to the US.

However, the association has expressed concerns. They worry that this new rule could hurt tourism to the US, especially from the countries on the list. They said that if this rule is implemented, the US would have one of the highest visa fees in the world.

They also pointed out that travel from neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico has already dropped by 20% compared to the previous year. In addition, airfare prices between the US and Europe have returned to pre-pandemic levels, showing signs of declining interest in traveling to the US.

What Should Travelers Know?

If you’re from one of the countries that may be affected, and you plan to apply for a US tourist or business visa, here’s what you should keep in mind:

• Be prepared to possibly pay a visa bond.

• Make sure to leave the US on time to get your money back.

• Use the designated airports when entering or exiting the US.

• Check the latest updates from your country’s US Embassy or the official US visa website.

The visa bond rule is still in a pilot phase, so it may be updated or canceled after a year depending on how effective it is.