The US State Department is launching a new pilot program that would require visitors from certain countries to post a bond of up to $15,000 to secure a visa for business or personal travel. This is the latest move by the Trump administration to crack down on countries with high rates of visa overstay.
It’s also another attack on 10% of the U.S. population that relies on travel and tourism income.
The Monday rule posted by the department does not list which countries will be affected, but states that it will target those with high visa overstay rates or poor internal vetting. It will also target travelers who bought citizenship in third countries, such as those openly offered in the Caribbean.
Selected countries will be given 15 days’ notice, and their nationals may be required to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.
The State Department sees the program as a critical diplomatic tool to encourage other countries to address overstays by their nationals and to address deficiencies in their identity verification standards and practices.”
“The Department believes these three levels will provide consular officers discretion to require a bond in an amount that is sufficient to ensure the alien does not overstay, while taking into account the visa applicant’s circumstances,” it said in the rule.
However, the pilot program will no doubt close the door to many travelers wishing to come to the U.S.
It’s not clear if this program will reverse the ban on citizens from 12 identified countries from traveling to the United States .
The entire note can be downloaded here from the US State Department website.
The Trump administration cited visa overstay rates and concerns about vetting in rolling out the travel ban.
The new pilot program would not apply to countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, where citizens do not require a visa in advance of travel.
