"Up to $15,000 Visa Bond: U.S. Proposes New Financial Guarantee for Travelers to Combat Visa Overstays"

The U.S. Department of State has proposed a significant change to its visa application process, which could make travel to the United States prohibitively expensive for many. The new proposal suggests requiring certain applicants for work and tourist visas to post a financial bond that could be as high as $15,000.

In an official statement published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, the department announced it would initiate a 12-month pilot program. Under this program, individuals from countries deemed to have high visa overstay rates or lacking sufficient document security controls would be required to deposit a financial guarantee of either $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 when applying for a visa.

The pilot program, which aims to ensure the U.S. government doesn't bear the financial burden of non-compliance, is set to take effect within 15 days of its official publication. The statement specifies that the program will apply to "aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure who are nationals of countries that are designated by the Department as having high visa overstay rates where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient, or to countries that grant citizenship for investment if the alien obtained citizenship without a residency requirement." The list of countries subject to these conditions will be released once the program is active.

It is important to note that this bond requirement will not apply to nationals of countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program. Furthermore, other applicants may be exempted from the bond based on their individual circumstances.

While the idea of a visa bond has been discussed in the past, it was never implemented. The Department of State previously avoided this requirement due to the administrative complexities of issuing and refunding bonds, as well as the potential for public misperception. However, the department's latest statement argues there are "no recent examples or evidence" to support these past rejections, as visa bonds have not been in general use in recent memory.