The Department of State announced it will be introducing bonds for certain business and tourist visas, with fees as high as $15,000.
The Federal Register notice announced the Department of State’s plan to introduce a visa bond pilot program, where B-1 and B-2 visa applicants from certain countries will be required to post a bond of, at most, $15,000 to be issued their visa. The rule notes that countries will be selected based on overstay rates, insufficient screening and vetting information, or if foreign nationals have obtained citizenship without a residency requirement. You can find the list of countries covered by the Pilot Program on Travel.State.Gov (subject to change). Currently, the list includes:
– Malawi
– Zambia
Individuals issued B-1 or B-2 visas who are foreign nationals of the countries subject to the Pilot Program will be required to pay the outlined fee (ranging from $5,000 to $15,000). They may be returned their bond funds:
– if the visa holder complies with all the visa bond requirements and all non-immigrant visa status requirements,
– upon their timely departure from the United States,
– cancellation of their visa by CBP before entry into the United States, or
– expiration of the visa if the holder did not travel to the United States.
The visa bond amount will not be returned if the visa holder has not kept the conditions of the visa bond, including late departure from the United States, failure to leave the United States, and applications to change or extend their status while they are in the United States.
The Department of State will conduct the Pilot Program for 12 months, beginning August 20, 15 days after the publication of the notice.
We will keep you updated.