US Tightens Visa Rules: $15,000 Bond Required for High-Risk Countries

The Trump administration is tightening the fight against illegal immigration. The United States now requires a $15,000 bond from nationals of certain countries requesting a visa to travel to the country. The setting of this bond is part of a pilot project of the State Department made public on Monday, August 4, and with a duration of twelve months. This decision, which is to be published on Tuesday in the Federal Register and come into effect fifteen days later, is intended in particular to ensure that visa applicants do not remain in the United States beyond the authorized duration of their stay, according to Le Monde.

According to the State Department notice, this pilot project concerns both tourist and business travel. According to a spokesperson, this initiative "strengthens the Trump administration’s commitment to enforcing U.S. immigration laws and protecting national security." This measure will apply to "nationals of countries identified by the State Department as having high rates of overstaying the authorized period of stay" or those whose "control and verification information is deemed insufficient," at the discretion of consular officers.

Some 500,000 people have overstayed the authorized duration of their stay in the United States during fiscal year 2023 - from October to October, the document states. For now, the State Department has not communicated on the list of countries concerned. The only certainty is that around forty countries, mainly in Europe, participate in a visa waiver program for a limited period of ninety days.