US to revive $15,000 visa bond program for travelers from high-risk countries

The U.S. State Department is preparing to roll out a visa bond program that would require travelers from certain countries to pay up to $15,000 before entering the U.S. on tourist or business visas.

The move revives a Trump-era policy first proposed in November 2020, targeting countries with high visa overstay rates many of them in Africa.

According to a draft rule, the 12-month pilot program would apply to nationals from countries where overstay rates exceed 10%. The bonds are meant to ensure travelers leave the U.S. on time. Visitors would have their money refunded upon departure, naturalization, or death.

The official list of affected countries will be published on the Travel.State.Gov website at least 15 days before the program goes into effect, and may be updated with similar notice. Past federal data cited countries such as Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, Yemen, Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo as having high overstay rates.

A notice set to be published on August 5 states the program will help the State Department evaluate the feasibility of using bonds as an enforcement tool, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of the Treasury.

While the original 2020 version of the policy was never implemented, the new effort comes amid a broader tightening of immigration under Trump’s influence, including:

• A travel ban targeting mostly African and Middle Eastern countries

• Termination of protected status for many immigrants

• A proposed $250 visa integrity fee, among the highest in the world

• New rules requiring foreign students to share online activity and social media profiles as part of the visa process

A State Department spokesperson told Reuters that countries will be selected based on several factors, including overstay rates, weak vetting systems, and concerns about “citizenship-by-investment” schemes.

The U.S. Travel Association, which represents the tourism industry, estimates the program could affect around 2,000 applicants, mostly from countries with low travel volumes to the U.S. The group warned that such policies combined with visa delays and new fees are already contributing to a steep decline in tourism. In March alone, overseas arrivals dropped by 11.6%, while travel from Canada and Mexico fell by 20% year-over-year.

Human rights advocates and immigration experts have also raised concerns that such policies could lead to profiling, detentions, and further discourage travel to the U.S. especially from the Global South.