WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department has announced that citizens from an additional 12 countries will need to post bonds up to $15,000 to apply for U.S. visas, a policy aimed at combating high visa overstay rates. Effective April 2, passport holders from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia will be affected by this rule. This bond system was introduced by the Trump administration last year and has resulted in fewer visa overstays. Currently, there will be a total of 50 countries under this requirement. The bond amounts vary based on individual circumstances and are fully refundable if the visa is denied or if the visa holder adheres to their visa conditions. The State Department claims that the program has drastically reduced visa overstays, with about 97% of previous bond-payers complying with visa rules. For more details on the complete list of countries subject to this requirement, visit the State Department's official website.
New Visa Bond Requirements Eliminate Overstay Risks for 12 Countries
Starting April 2, U.S. visa applicants from 12 additional countries must post bonds to ensure adherence to visa terms, significantly impacting migration control efforts.
The U.S. State Department is expanding its visa bond requirement, effective April 2, to include passport holders from 12 new countries. Each applicant from these countries must pay a bond of up to $15,000, which will be refunded if they comply with visa terms. This initiative aims to mitigate visa overstays and has reportedly led to a significant reduction in such occurrences.
