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The Trump administration is proposing a new visa requirement that would force some travelers to the United States to post a bond of up to $15,000 — a move critics say could severely restrict tourism and business travel from dozens of countries.
The U.S. State Department said Monday it plans to launch a 12-month pilot program that would apply to applicants for B-1 and B-2 visas — typically used for short-term business and tourism visits — from countries deemed to have high rates of overstaying visas or weak internal security controls.
The pilot program, expected to be formally published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, would allow consular officers to require bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 as a condition of visa approval. It would begin within 15 days of publication.
The department said the move is intended to reduce visa overstays and ensure the U.S. government is not financially liable when visitors violate the terms of their entry.
“Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure…may be subject to the pilot program,” the notice states, citing criteria including “high visa overstay rates,” “deficient” vetting systems, and “citizenship-by-investment” schemes that do not require residency.
The program would not apply to citizens from the Visa Waiver Program, which allows nationals of 42 countries — mostly in Europe and select nations in Asia and the Middle East — to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa.
A list of targeted countries will be released once the program formally begins. Officials said the requirement could be waived depending on the applicant’s individual situation.
Critics Warn of Cost and Confusion
Immigration experts and travel industry advocates warned that the program could make travel prohibitively expensive and discourage legitimate tourism and business activity. They also expressed concern about transparency and fairness in how affected countries are chosen.
“A $15,000 bond would be a dealbreaker for most people applying for a short-term visit,” said a former senior State Department official, calling the plan “bureaucratically complicated and diplomatically risky.”
The State Department acknowledged that visa bonds have previously been discouraged because of administrative burdens and concerns about public perception. However, it argued in the notice that such concerns were “not supported by any recent examples or evidence,” since visa bonds have not been widely used in modern history.
Part of a Broader Crackdown
The proposal is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to overhaul U.S. immigration and visa policy. In recent weeks, the State Department has also announced new in-person interview requirements for many visa renewal applicants and proposed requiring Diversity Visa Lottery applicants to hold valid passports from their country of citizenship.
The administration has made visa overstays a central focus of its immigration agenda, arguing that undocumented overstays now outpace illegal border crossings as the largest source of unauthorized immigration.
What Happens Next
The pilot program is set to begin soon after its publication in the Federal Register and will run for one year, unless extended or terminated early. During that time, the government will assess whether the program successfully reduces overstays and deters noncompliance.
The department has not said how it will collect, hold, or refund the bonds, though the notice suggests that administrative procedures for managing the funds will be established before enforcement begins.
Foreign governments affected by the bond proposal have not yet publicly responded.
