State Department expands visa bond requirement to 12 more countries
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The U.S. State Department on Wednesday expanded the list of countries whose citizens must deposit up to $15,000 in bonds to apply for a U.S. business or tourist visa.
The ministry added 12 countries to the growing list: Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia.
Starting April 2, passport holders of these countries will be required to pay a deposit of US$5,000, US$10,000 or US$15,000; If the visa application is rejected or the visa application is accepted, this amount will be refunded if the traveler complies with the conditions of the B1 or B2 visa.
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The State Department added 12 countries to the growing list. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The cost of the deposit depends on the applicant’s situation and is determined at the discretion of the consular officer during the visa interview.
The requirement was first implemented by the Trump administration last year as part of efforts to combat visa overstays and illegal immigration, according to officials.
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Under the State Department’s expanded policy, travelers from certain countries will be required to post up to $15,000 in bonds. (iStock)
With the latest additions, citizens of 50 countries will be subject to bond requirements from April 2, although this policy is already in effect for most countries.
The majority of countries are in Africa, where officials have higher rates of visa overstays, but the list also includes countries in Asia, Latin America and elsewhere.
The majority of the countries on the list are in Africa, where overstay rates are high, but the list also includes countries in Asia, Latin America and elsewhere. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The visa bond program has proven effective in greatly reducing the number of visa recipients who overstay their visas and remain in the United States illegally,” the department said in a statement. he said.
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About 97 percent of the nearly 1,000 people who posted bonds complied with visa requirements and did not stay long, according to the ministry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
