$15,000 visa bond: US tightens rules for visitors from overstay countries

Business Standard

13 hours ago

Soon, visitors to the US could be asked to pay bonds of up to $15,000. Starting August 20, 2025, the United States could start requiring bonds of up to $15,000 (Rs 13 lakh) for certain tourist and business visa applicants. The move is part of a pilot programme to discourage visitors from overstaying their visas, according to a government notice seen by Business Standard on Monday.
Under this programme, US consular officers will be given the authority to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays or where screening and vetting information is considered inadequate.
Which visas are affected and who decides?
The programme applies to B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas. Consular officers will have discretion to impose bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, but the default expectation is $10,000, the notice said. These funds will be refunded if the traveller leaves the US within the permitted time.
This initiative is linked to Executive Order 14159, 'Protecting The American People Against Invasion,' which directs the Departments of Treasury, State, and Homeland Security to establish a bond administration system under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
A spokesperson for the State Department said countries will be identified based on 'high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, concerns regarding acquisition of citizenship by investment without a residency requirement, and foreign policy considerations.'
The countries likely to be impacted
While no formal list has been published yet, the notice mentioned that countries with high visa overstay rates, particularly in Africa and Asia, are under scrutiny. Nations previously targeted by Trump's travel ban—including Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, and Yemen—are also likely candidates.
Customs and Border Protection data for fiscal year 2023 showed that countries like Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo recorded high overstay rates. Additionally, 12,882 Indian nationals on leisure or business trips overstayed their visas in 2023, as per the US Entry/Exit Overstay Report.
When does the programme start and how long will it run?
The pilot programme will go into effect on August 20 and is expected to run for about a year. A similar attempt was made in November 2020 during the final months of Trump's first term but was never fully rolled out due to pandemic-related travel disruptions.
Trump's immigration crackdown continues
Former US President Donald Trump has consistently focused on tightening immigration controls. He issued a travel ban in June that restricted entry for citizens of 19 countries on national security grounds. These actions have already impacted travel trends—transatlantic airfares in May dropped to pre-pandemic levels, while travel from Canada and Mexico to the US fell 20% year-on-year.
$250 visa integrity fee adds another layer
Alongside the visa bond pilot, a $250 'visa integrity fee' will be introduced on October 1. This fee, passed as part of a spending package in July, will be charged to all non-immigrant visa applicants once their visa is approved.
The U.S. Travel Association has voiced concerns, saying, 'If implemented, the U.S. will have one of, if not the highest, visitor visa fees in the world.' The group estimates that around 2,000 applicants from a handful of countries with low travel volume to the US will be affected by the bond programme.
Key points to note
• Bond amounts will be $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 per applicant, with $10,000 as the norm
• effective August 20, for a duration of one year
• bonds apply to B-1/B-2 visa holders from countries with high overstay rates or insufficient vetting
• $250 visa integrity fee will be mandatory from October 1 for all non-immigrant visa applicants
• bonds will be refunded if visitors comply with visa departure rules
• around 12,882 Indian visitors overstayed in the US in 2023