US introduces $15,000 visa bond scheme for some visitors

The United States has announced a fresh visa policy requiring some foreign nationals to pay bonds of up to $15,000 before being granted entry, in a renewed effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to reduce visa overstays.

According to a statement released by the US State Department on Monday, August 4, the 12-month pilot scheme is set to commence on 20 August.

It targets nonimmigrant visa applicants from countries considered to have high overstay rates or insufficient screening processes.

“Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance,” the agency stated in an official notice scheduled for publication in the US Federal Register on Tuesday, August 5.

Applicants affected by the new measure must secure either a B-1 business or B-2 tourism visa and may be asked to pay no less than $5,000 as a refundable deposit.

The bond will be returned only if the applicant complies fully with the visa terms, including leaving the US before expiry.

Failure to do so would lead to the forfeiture of the sum. While specific countries have not been named, the State Department said the programme would affect nations flagged in a 2023 Department of Homeland Security report for high visa overstay rates.

It would also apply to applicants from countries deemed to have weak vetting systems or those that naturalise citizens without residency requirements.

A spokesperson explained, “The pilot reinforces the Trump Administration’s commitment to enforcing US immigration laws and safeguarding US national security.”

Travellers subjected to the bond will also be required to enter and exit the country through a set of pre-approved airports.

This visa bond measure marks yet another of President Trump’s strict immigration initiatives since returning to the White House in January, aiming to curb what the administration described as “the clear national security threat posed by visa overstays.”