In brief
The U.S. State Department announced that starting April 2, citizens of Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia will be required to post bonds up to $15,000 for visa applications. This brings the total to 50 countries affected by this program established to reduce visa overstays.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department has confirmed that it will be adding 12 countries to a list requiring their citizens to submit bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for visas, effective April 2. The countries affected include Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia. These bonds are fully refundable if the visa is denied or if the applicant complies with the visa conditions if granted.This measure will increase the total number of countries subject to this requirement to 50, as part of an ongoing strategy to mitigate issues surrounding visa overstays and illegal migration, a policy initially introduced by the Trump administration last year.According to a notice from the State Department, visa applicants from these specified countries, primarily in Africa, must deposit bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 based on their individual circumstances and the decision of the consular officer.The department claims the visa bond program has successfully decreased the rate of visa overstays, reporting that nearly 97% of individuals who posted bonds have adhered to their visa terms. For more information, the complete list of countries affected by this new regulation can be found on the State Department's website.