Visiting the US can quickly become more expensive for some travelers.
The State Department has announced a 12-month pilot program that requires travelers from certain countries with high visa disclosure rates to list refundable bonds as a condition for issuing Visa. Bonds range from $5,000 to $15,000.
That’s what happened to the court period news. Included in the Federal Registerofficial daily public release of the US government on August 5th. The notification does not yet list the countries covered by the program, but the initial list will be released when the program begins on August 20, 2025. The country states that it applies to all B1 and B2 (for business and tourism), respectively.
As per the notice, the amounts that the applicant is required to pay are “based on the applicant’s circumstances as determined by the consul officer, but on an amount of over $5,000 unless exempt from the bond requirements.” Anyone leaving the US before the visa expires will receive a refund of the bond, but will not lose the bond amount.
Similarly, those who do not comply with the terms of the visa (for example, they do unauthorized jobs) will not be able to return their funds. Once the program is launched, travelers who are part of the pilot will be allowed to only enter and leave designated US airports.
Over 300,000 foreigners stayed in the United States during fiscal year 2023 after the tourism or business visa ended. August 2024 Report From the Department of Homeland Security.
42 citizens mainly of European countries and territories, as well as citizens of Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand, Qatar, South Korea and Singapore; Visa Waiver Program (enable to visit the US for up to 90 days for tourism and business without a visa) does not need to post bonds.
The pilot program will revive similar efforts introduced in 2020. The original programme would have primarily targeted individuals from 23 countries in Africa.
Historically, the US Department of State has Disappointing the use of visa bondscites the tedious process of posting, processing and ejecting bonds. However, the current administration sees the pilot program as a necessary step to address national security concerns and encourage foreign governments to improve screening and review procedures.
Additional bond fees will lead to what we expect to be a busy time for our inbound trips. America’s 250th birthday And next year, the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon (US is working with Canada and Mexico). Critics have warned that measures, such as bond fees, could have a negative impact on tourism, coupled with other inbound travel policies.
In a statement shared with Afar, Erik Hansen, the SVP of Government Relations for the US Travel Association, said the scope of the Visa bond program appears to be limited.
“We are most interested in the $250 visa integrity fee Recently enacted by the CongressHansen said: When it comes to staying competitive in the global travel market, it is important that US visa policies reflect both national security priorities and the important economic value of international visits. ”
