Washington — The State Division is about to roll out a pilot program which will require international nationals from sure nations looking for enterprise or tourism visas to submit a bond of as much as $15,000, in keeping with a public discover set to be revealed Tuesday.
The discover lays out the small print of a 12-month “visa bond pilot program” that might permit consular officers to require visa bonds. Below this system, the bonds could also be required for vacationers from nations that the State Division says have excessive charges of visa overstays, or the place screening and vetting info is taken into account poor, in keeping with the doc.
The discover doesn’t specify the nations coated by the pilot program, however mentioned the State Division will announce the listing a minimum of 15 days earlier than it takes impact. The company may even present an evidence of why the bonds are required, in keeping with the itemizing, which will likely be revealed within the Federal Register on Tuesday.
This system will take impact 15 days after the discover is formally revealed and can run via August 2026, the doc states.
This system is available in response to an govt order issued by President Trump on the primary day of his second time period that sought to stem unlawful immigration into the U.S., a serious focus of the president’s coverage agenda. The measure directed the treasury secretary, together with the secretaries of state and homeland safety, to take motion to implement a visa bond program.
As a part of his immigration agenda, the president has sought to roll again humanitarian packages for migrants from sure nations, and signed a proclamation in June banning international nationals from a dozen nations from touring to the U.S. The Trump administration has additionally focused immigrants on pupil visas and brought steps to tighten the foundations for visa candidates.
A brand new tax-and-spending invoice signed by Mr. Trump final month additionally topics many vacationers to the U.S. to a $250 “visa integrity charge.”
The State Division described the pilot program as a “instrument of diplomacy” and mentioned it would assist inform future choices relating to the potential use of visa bonds “to handle the nationwide safety and international coverage priorities” raised in Mr. Trump’s govt order.
“The Pilot Program is additional designed to function a diplomatic instrument to encourage international governments to take all acceptable actions to make sure strong screening and vetting for all residents in issues of id verification and public security, to create safeguards in [Citizenship by Investment] packages that present citizenship with none residency within the nation, and to encourage specified nations with visa overstays to make sure their nationals well timed depart america after making short-term visits,” in keeping with the discover.
Who could also be included within the visa bond pilot program?
The State Division didn’t say which nations with excessive overstay charges would set off the visa bond requirement. However an August 2024 report from the Division of Homeland Safety discovered that in fiscal yr 2023, there have been greater than 300,000 international nationals admitted for enterprise or pleasure who have been nonetheless within the U.S. after their licensed keep ended.
The pilot program will concentrate on nations which have excessive visa overstay charges amongst these allowed into the U.S. for enterprise or pleasure — via B-1 or B-2 visas, in keeping with the discover. A B-1 visa is for these quickly touring to the U.S. for enterprise actions. A B-2 visa is for international nationals who need to come to the U.S. quickly for tourism or pleasure.
Vacationers coming into the U.S. below the Visa Waiver Program won’t should submit a bond, in keeping with the State Division’s discover. That program permits residents of greater than 40 nations to enter the U.S. for fewer than 90 days with out a visa.
Whereas the nations topic to this system will likely be introduced sooner or later, the listing might also be modified on a rolling foundation, the State Division mentioned. The nations with the very best overstay charges for individuals with enterprise and tourism visas in fiscal yr 2023 have been Chad, Laos, Haiti and Congo, in keeping with the Division of Homeland Safety’s report.
Solely international nationals who’re making use of for B-1 or B-2 nonimmigrant visas, and who’re from the nations recognized by the State Division, could also be required to submit a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 as a situation of receiving a visa. The bond will be canceled if the particular person meets sure standards, together with leaving the U.S. by the date their authorization expires, in keeping with the phrases of this system detailed within the discover.
The brand new requirement for sure international nationals looking for to return to the U.S. for enterprise or tourism might have damaging penalties for cities that depend on vacationers from overseas. A June report from the Las Vegas Conference and Guests Authority discovered that Sin Metropolis skilled an 11% drop in visitation year-over-year, internet hosting almost 3.5 million guests in June 2024 and almost 3.1 million this June.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Journey Affiliation mentioned the pilot program seems to impact roughly 2,000 candidates, almost certainly from a number of nations with low journey quantity to the U.S. However the group is extra involved with the $250 “Visa Integrity Charge” included within the tax-and-spending plan, the spokesperson mentioned.
“If this charge is applied, the U.S. can have one among, if not the very best, customer visa charges on the planet,” the spokesperson mentioned. “If we’re to keep up a aggressive place within the world journey market, it is important that U.S. visa coverage displays each nationwide safety priorities and the numerous financial worth of worldwide visitation.”
Mary Cunningham and
Aliza Chasan
contributed to this report.
