The US will extend its visa bond program to include 50 countries starting April 2, requiring foreign nationals applying for B1 and B2 visas for business and tourism to submit a $15,000 bond, as announced by the State Department. The bond will be refunded to visa holders who adhere to their stay conditions and depart the US on schedule or if they do not travel. This initiative aims to reduce illegal overstays, with US authorities noting a significant decrease in such incidents under the existing program.
The expansion on April 2 will encompass 12 new countries under the policy, including Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia. These nations will join the existing 38 countries subject to the visa bond requirement, such as Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, and others. The State Department highlighted the potential for further expansion based on immigration risk factors, suggesting the addition of more countries in the future based on overstay trends and compliance data.
Officials stressed the financial benefits of the policy, citing it as a cost-saving measure for US taxpayers. The department pointed out that removing an illegally present individual in the US costs over $18,000 on average, making the visa bond program a significant saving of up to $800 million annually by reducing overstays. The visa bond mandate specifically targets short-term B1 and B2 visas, commonly used for business, tourism, and family visits, serving as a financial guarantee for compliance with visa terms.
B1 and B2 visas are widely issued for short-term travel and have been crucial in assessing immigration risk and shaping visa policies based on overstay rates. The move to expand the visa bond program underscores the US government’s efforts to enhance visa compliance and reduce the financial burden associated with illegal overstays.
