Some tourists visiting the will soon be required to sign bonds of up to $15,000 (€13,000) under a new pilot program launching in two weeks, a government notice said.
The program proposed by the State Department is aimed at curbing the number of visitors who overstay their visas.
Consular officials will have three options for visa applicants subjected to the bonds: $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, but will generally be expected to require at least $10,000, the notice said.
The bond requirements for visitors coming to the US have been proposed at a time when the is .
What do we know about the new program?
The program gives US consular officials the discretion to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays, the State Department said in the notice, which will be published Tuesday in the US Federal Register.
The bonds will also be applicable to people from and verification information, it added.
The program, which will come into effect on August 20, will last for about a year. It will apply to B-1 or B-2 nonimmigrant visas, and those asked to pay bonds will have to enter and depart from the United States from a list of pre-selected airports.
“The pilot reinforces the Trump Administration’s commitment to enforcing US immigration laws and safeguarding US national security,” a State Department spokesperson told the AFP news agency.
Who are affected?
Neither the notice nor the spokesperson specified which countries would be impacted by the new rule. But it will not impact people from all countries.
Travelers from countries in the Visa Waiver Program, which enables visa-free travel for business or tourism purposes for up to 90 days, will be exempted from the bond requirements.
The countries affected will be listed once the program takes effect and the bond requirement could be waived depending on an applicant’s individual circumstances, according to the notice.
The funds will be returned to travelers if they depart the US in accordance with the terms of their visas, the notice said.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
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