Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Aug 5: The US State Department is preparing to implement a controversial visa bond pilot program that could require certain foreign nationals applying for business or tourism visas to post a financial guarantee of up to $15,000, according to a notice previewed on the Federal Register website.
Under the one-year initiative, US consular officers will have the discretion to demand bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 from applicants deemed to pose a high risk of overstaying their visas. The program will go into effect 15 days after the official publication of the notice, expected Tuesday.
The measure is part of a broader push by the Trump-era immigration framework to tighten visa enforcement. While the notice did not disclose specific countries, it confirmed that affected nations would be those with elevated visa overstay rates or insufficient screening and vetting procedures. A list of the targeted countries will be published online at least two weeks before the program becomes active.
The bond requirement is aimed at discouraging non-compliance with visa conditions. Travellers who fulfill their visa terms will be eligible to reclaim their bond upon timely departure from the United States.
The pilot initiative is the latest in a series of moves by the State Department to clamp down on immigration loopholes and improve national security screenings. Just last week, it announced that many visa renewal applicants would now need to undergo in-person interviews, reversing previous exemptions that allowed them to renew without appearing at consular offices.
In addition, the department has intensified its scrutiny of student visa applicants, requiring both new and returning students to undergo enhanced vetting that includes an analysis of their social media and digital activity.
According to a departmental cable cited by US media, consular officers are instructed to screen for any signs of "hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States." Applicants who decline to set their social media profiles to public may be denied visas under the new guidelines.
Despite the stricter rules, the department recently gave its missions the green light to resume processing student visa applications, which had been suspended since May 27 due to earlier pandemic-related disruptions.
The rollout of the visa bond program is expected to generate debate, especially among countries with large numbers of short-term US visitors and students, as concerns mount over balancing immigration control with international exchange and diplomacy.