US to Impose Bonds Up to $15,000 on Certain Foreign Visitors for Entry
Reporter
August 5, 2025 | 01:12 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In a multifront effort to crack down on illegal immigration in the United States (US), Trump administration will require that some foreign visitors pay bonds of up to US$15,000 to help ensure they do not overstay their visas, under a State Department trial program announced on Monday, August 4, 2025, according to The New Tork Times.
In a public notice, the State Department said that foreigners from countries with high rates of visa overstay who wish to visit the US on business or tourist visas will be required to deposit a minimum of US$5,000. Those who meet their visa requirements will receive their money returned, but visitors who do not depart the US before their visa ends will forfeit their bond.
In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, as reported by AP, the State Department would start a 12-month pilot program under which people from countries deemed to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds of US$5,000, US$10,000 or US$15,000 when they apply for a visa.
The notice stated that the countries would be chosen based on data on visa overstays gathered and disseminated by the Department of Homeland Security, without identifying which countries would be included in the scheme.
According to a preview of the bond notice that was made public on the Federal Register website on Monday, the pilot program will be implemented within 15 days of its official publication and is required to guarantee that the US government will not be held financially responsible in the event that a visitor violates the conditions of their visa.
“Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure and who are nationals of countries identified by the department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering citizenship by investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program,” stated the notice, as quoted by AP.
Following the program's implementation, a list of the impacted countries would be provided, it stated. Depending on each applicant's unique situation, the bond may be waived.
Consular officers granting visas will determine the amount of the bond, according to the notice.
Citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, which permits travel for up to 90 days for business or pleasure, would not be subject to the bond. The program's 42 participating countries are mostly in Europe, with some also in Asia, the Middle East, and other places.
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