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Travellers will now be required to enter the US within 30 days of their visa issuance.
The final version of the new rule is expected to be published for public viewing on Tuesday (Representative image)
The Donald Trump administration proposed new changes this week that would impact the business and tourist visa categories for those seeking entry into the United States. The State Department announced plans to launch a pilot program requiring visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000, Reuters reported. This bond is intended to serve as a financial guarantee that tourists will not seek asylum or overstay their visas while in the US.
State Department employees were informed of the development on August 4, and the notice has already been submitted to the Federal Register. The final version of the new rule is expected to be published for public viewing on Tuesday, with the program potentially coming into effect as early as August 20.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that the department plans to roll out a 12-month pilot program under which applicants would be required to pay a bond of $10,000 per adult and $5,000 per child. Travellers would be eligible to reclaim the bond if they leave the US within the allowed visa period, using specific designated ports of entry and exit.
The program, set to begin within the next two weeks, is aimed at applicants from countries whose nationals have high rates of overstaying their business or tourist visas, or whose internal document security is considered weak. While the list of countries most affected has not yet been made public, officials say it will be announced soon. According to a Newsweek report, the Department of Homeland Security supports the move, viewing it as a way to prevent the US government from incurring costs when visitors violate visa terms.
A Politico report citing State Department officials revealed that the bonds will be collected by the US Treasury Department. Additionally, travellers will now be required to enter the US within 30 days of their visa issuance, a new measure aimed at strengthening compliance with visa regulations.
This new regulation is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to tighten visa issuance procedures for many travellers. Critics argue that the move could make obtaining a US visa prohibitively expensive for some applicants. Earlier this year, in June, the administration announced a travel ban that restricts citizens from 19 countries, either fully or partially, from entering the US on national security grounds.
It is also worth noting that this is not the first time a visa bond program has been proposed. During his first term, President Trump suggested a similar six-month pilot program in 2020. However, after the Biden administration assumed office, the proposal was never implemented.
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- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
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