State Dept to impose visa bond of up to $15,000 for travelers from nations with high overstay rates

The State Department has plans to implement a program this month that will charge $15,000 for a visa bond for travelers from countries that routinely overstay their visas. The bond will be reimbursed once those travelers depart. It is intended to deter travelers from overstaying their travel or business visa.

On Monday, the proposal appeared on the Federal Register, where it said the State Department was announcing 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,” the release added.

According to the Washington Post, those countries that are impacted by the policy with high overstay rates are Malawi and Zambia. More countries can be added to the list.  The 12-month program is meant “to protect America’s borders and the American people by holding foreign visitors accountable for departing the United States on time.”

"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," the notice added.

"Compliance with the bond will require arrival into and departure from the United States by air from one of the airports pre-selected for use during this pilot program, based on their capacity to automatically confirm that the alien has departed the United States in accordance with the bond’s conditions," the provision stated.

As travelers exit the US, the bond can also be returned. The funds "will be returned for any visa holder who complies with the terms and conditions of the bond, based on information provided by DHS,” the policy stated. The bond level can also vary for those coming to the country who are subject to the policy, with the three amounts set at $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000.