US to establish permanent visa bonds for nationals of 50 countries
The US will make its visa bond programme permanent for business and tourist applicants from 50 countries, with consular officers able to require bonds of up to US$20,000.
- The US is establishing a permanent visa bond program for business (B-1) and tourist (B-2) visa applicants from 50 specified countries.
- Consular officers can require applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition for receiving a visa, with set amounts of $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000.
- The stated goal of the program, which affects 30 African nations among the 50 total, is to reduce the number of visitors who overstay their authorized period of stay.
The United States is preparing to make its visa bond programme permanent, allowing consular officers to require certain business and tourist visa applicants from 50 countries to post a bond of up to US$20,000 as a condition of receiving a visa.
The final rule, scheduled to take effect on August 3, covers B-1 business visas and B-2 tourist visas. Thirty of the countries included in the programme are in Africa. US officials maintain that the requirement will help reduce the number of visitors who remain in the country after their authorised period of stay expires.
The 50 countries are Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Under the permanent system, consular officers will determine whether an eligible applicant must post a bond and set the amount according to the applicant’s circumstances. The available amounts will be US$10,000, US$15,000 or US$20,000.
The earlier pilot programme allowed bond amounts of US$5,000, US$10,000 or US$15,000. The final rule removes the US$5,000 option and raises the maximum amount to US$20,000.
The US government notice indicated that the pilot scheme had established a working framework involving the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of the Treasury.
It concluded that the information collected during the trial provided sufficient evidence that visa bonds could be an effective way of encouraging visa holders subject to the requirement to comply with immigration rules and leave the country on time.
Immigration advocates warn of barriers to lawful travel
Immigration advocates have argued that requiring bonds of up to US$20,000 could discourage legitimate travellers, particularly applicants who cannot afford to deposit such a large sum with the government.
Rights groups have also criticised President Donald Trump’s wider immigration crackdown, alleging that some measures undermine freedom of expression and due process, create an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and encourage racial profiling. Trump has defended the policies as necessary to strengthen national security.
Although the administration has presented its immigration policies as an effort to curb unlawful entry and visa overstays, it has also made some legal immigration procedures more expensive and demanding.
These measures include higher fees for certain visa categories and tighter social media screening for new applicants and immigrants already living in the United States.
Source: Reuters, Bangkokbiznews
