The Donald Trump administration has announced that some categories of visas may now require a $15,000 bond from the visitors before being issued by America. The regulation revives a measure from US President Donald Trump’s first term’s last days, designed to employ bonds as a ‘diplomatic tool’ to ensure visitors depart as scheduled, reports suggest.This initiative was unveiled through temporary final regulations on Monday, implementing a year-long pilot programme to assess its effectiveness.
$15,000 Bond Soon For US Visas
The US State Department has introduced a new policy requiring visitors from nations with substantial visa overstay rates to pay bonds up to $15,000 for tourism and business travel visas.Also Read | What is EB-5 visa? With Donald Trump administration cracking down on student visas, Indians explore this route for a path to Green CardVisitors seeking B-1 and B-2 visas from countries with significant overstay percentages must submit bonds before visa approval.The Donald Trump administration will reveal the list of affected countries “no fewer than 15 days” before the pilot scheme begins—which starts 15 days following the regulations’ publication in the Federal Register.“In this temporary final rule (TFR), the Department of State (the Department) announces the commencement of a 12-month long visa bond pilot program. Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the Department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering Citizenship by Investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program. Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers,” read the notice from the Department of State.Also Read | US visa fee hike! Pay around Rs 40,000 in visa application fees from 2026; details here
