Bond Requirement for Some U.S. Visas Could Become Permanent
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
The U.S. State Department will make a pilot program permanent that requires citizens from 50 countries, primarily in Africa, to post bonds when applying for a U.S. visa, and it is also increasing the bond amount to a maximum of $20,000. A draft notice published on Friday in the Federal Register indicates that nearly a year of review provided 'sufficient data' to show that the bond program effectively enforces visa conditions, leading to its permanence. The formal notice will be published on Monday, the day the program becomes permanent, and more countries may be added to the list. The pilot program set the maximum bond amount at $15,000, with lower amounts of $5,000 and $10,000 at the discretion of a consular officer. The final rule raises the maximum to $20,000 and eliminates the minimum payment of $5,000. The program requires passport holders from the affected countries to pay the bond to be interviewed for business and tourist visas—known as B1 and B2 visas—to travel to the United States. The bond is refunded if the visa application is denied or, if granted, if the individual complies with the visa terms. The Trump administration implemented the program in August of last year to combat overstays and as part of broader efforts to curb illegal immigration. The government estimates that arresting and deporting visitors who have overstayed their visas costs about $18,000 per person. State Department officials have described the program as a great success. In 2024, nearly 45,500 visitors from the 50 countries included in the program overstayed their visas, according to the notice. In the first 10 months of the pilot bond program, the number of overstays from those countries was fewer than 50. Critics have argued that the bond imposes an unnecessarily harsh burden on people from impoverished countries visiting family or seeking educational or business opportunities in the U.S. According to government projections and statistics from the program's first year, the State Department initially expected about 2,000 visa applicants to be required to post the bond. Instead, the department found that approximately 20,000 applicants were subject to the bond requirement. Nearly half of those applicants chose not to pay the bond, resulting in an 83% drop in the number of business and tourist visas issued to citizens from the listed countries. 'The department expects this final rule to contribute to the ongoing reduction in demand for B1/B2 visa applications from citizens of countries subject to the program,' the notice states.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
