In yet another action justifying “national security”, the United States has decided to slap bonds worth $15,000 or ₹13.17 lakh on some foreign visitors to make sure they do not overstay their visas. The new program is being launched under a pilot program with an aim to crack down on visitors who overstay their visas.
According to a Federal Register notice, the program allows US consular officers to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high visa overstay rates.
The notice mentioned that bonds could also be applied to people coming from countries where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient.
Terming foreign visitors as “aliens”, the notice said, “Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) 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. Consular officers may require covered non-immigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.”
“….to insure that at the expiration of the time for which such alien has been admitted . . . or upon failure to maintain the status under which [the alien] was admitted…such alien will depart from the United States.”
THE NEW VISA BONDS
The new policy comes into effect on August 20.
The government notice said that the new visa program will last for approximately a year. Also Read | US visa interview rules set to get tougher from 2 September; here’s how it may impact your visa application
It said the consular officers will have three options for visa applicants subjected to the bonds: $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, but will generally be expected to require at least $10,000, it said.
The notice stated that the funds will be refunded to travelers who leave the US in compliance with their visa terms.
President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the US illegally. For the “national security”, Donald Trump also issued a travel ban that fully or partially blocks citizens of 19 nations from entering the country.
Trump’s immigration policies have led some visitors to skip travel to the United States. Transatlantic airfares dropped to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic in May and travel from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. fell by 20% year-over-year.