US could require some foreign visitors to furnish bonds of up to $15,000
The United States on Monday announced that it will begin requiring some foreign tourists and business travellers to pay bonds of up to $15,000 under a new pilot programme starting August 20 to ensure they do not overstay their visas.
If travellers leave the US before their visa expires, their bond will be refunded in full, a notice from the US Department of State said.
The bonds will apply to applicants for B-1 or business and B-2, or tourist visas from countries with high rates of overstaying visas or where US authorities believe screening and identity verification are weak.
Travellers from countries that offer citizenship without residency requirements may also be included. However, the state department has not yet released the list of affected countries.
“The Pilot Program is further designed to serve as a diplomatic tool to encourage foreign governments to take all appropriate actions to ensure robust screening and vetting for all citizens in matters of identity verification and public safety,” the release said.
According to the notice, there were 5,00,000 suspected visa overstays in 2023.
In 2020, a similar effort was announced at the end of Trump’s first term. It included countries like Afghanistan, Chad, Iran, Syria and Yemen, but the policy was not fully implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Al Jazeera reported.
Under the new programme,...
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