US locks in visa bonds of up to $25,700 for travellers from 50 countries

WASHINGTON – The US State Department will make permanent a visa bond programme that could require applicants from 50 countries, mostly from Africa, to post bonds of up to US$20,000 (S$25,700) when seeking US visas, according to a federal notice posted online on July 31.

The Federal Register notice applies to B1 and B2 visas, which are issued for business and tourism travel.

“Consular officers may require covered non-immigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to US$20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers,” the notice said.

“The 2025 visa bond pilot, which provided a framework for the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of the Treasury to assess the feasibility of administering a visa bond programme, has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond programme is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders,” it said.

In the pilot programme, consular officers could require bonds of US$5,000, US$10,000 or up to US$15,000. The final rule eliminates the US$5,000 option and raises the maximum bond to US$20,000.

The final rule goes into effect on Aug 3 when it is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register. In the list of 50 countries for whose citizens this programme applies, 30 are from Africa.

US officials say the policy is intended to reduce visa overstays. Immigration advocates argue it will deter legitimate travel to the United States.

Rights advocates say President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown violates free speech and due process, while creating an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and encouraging racial profiling. Trump has defended the measures as necessary to bolster national security.

While Trump says he wants to curb illegal immigration, his administration has made legal immigration more difficult, for example, by imposing new and expensive fees for applicants of certain visas and by ⁠enforcing social media vetting for applicants and immigrants ​already in the country. REUTERS