U.S. Expands Visa Deposit Requirement

The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that it is broadening the list of countries whose citizens must provide a financial deposit when applying for business or tourist visas. This new measure involves a potential deposit of up to $15,000.

Specifically, 12 new countries have been added, including Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia.

Starting April 2, travelers from these nations will need to pay a deposit of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, depending on their circumstances. Importantly, this deposit will be refunded if the application is rejected or if the visa is granted and the traveler adheres to the B1 or B2 visa conditions.

The bond amount varies based on individual applicants and is left to the discretion of the consular officer during the visa interview.

Initially introduced by the Trump administration last year, this requirement aims to address issues like visa overstays and illegal immigration.

With this latest update, a total of 50 countries will be subject to the bonding obligation as of April 2, although the policy is already in effect for many. While the list encompasses nations from various regions, officials note that the highest rates of visa overstays are predominantly found in Africa.

The State Department stated that the Visa Bond Program has shown effectiveness in decreasing the number of visa recipients who overstay and remain in the U.S. illegally. They reported that nearly 97% of those who posted deposits complied with their visa conditions and were not unlawfully present in the country.