The US State Department said Monday some visa applicants will soon be required to pay bonds of up to $15,000 to discourage visa overstays as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on migration.
Starting later this month, the pilot program will require applicants from certain countries to pay a sum of “no less than $5,000” as collateral for the issuance of their visa.
The funds will be returned if the applicant complies with all visa terms. If the applicant remains in the United States past the deadline, the funds will be forfeited.
“Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance,” the agency said in a notice to be published Tuesday in the US Federal Register.
The 12-month program would only affect foreign nationals from countries considered to have “high visa overstay rates” based on a 2023 Department of Homeland Security report, the notice said.