The Trump administration is implementing a new, controversial pilot program requiring some nonimmigrant visa applicants to post financial bonds of up to $15,000. This initiative, part of a broader crackdown on migration and visa overstays, will begin on August 20 and is set to run for 12 months. The US State Department announced that consular officers may demand a bond, starting at no less than $5,000, as a condition for visa issuance. These funds would be returned if the visa holder complies with the terms of their stay and departs on time, but would be forfeited if they overstay.

The program specifically targets foreign nationals from countries identified by the Department of Homeland Security as having high visa overstay rates and, according to the State Department, deficient internal document security controls. While the initial State Department notice did not specify countries, reports have indicated that nations like Malawi and Zambia could be impacted. The bond requirement will apply to B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) nonimmigrant visas, and those affected may also be restricted to entering and departing the United States from a list of pre-selected airports.

Justifying the pilot program, the State Department stated it is "a key pillar of the Trump Administration's foreign policy to protect the United States from the clear national security threat posed by visa overstays." This measure aligns with other recent tightening of visa requirements by the administration, including mandates for additional in-person interviews for many visa renewal applicants and the proposal for Visa Diversity Lottery applicants to possess valid passports from their country of citizenship. Citizens of countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program, predominantly European nations, will be exempt from this new bond requirement.

Historically, visa bonds have been proposed but never implemented, largely due to concerns over the cumbersome process of posting and discharging bonds, as well as potential negative public perception. However, the State Department has now dismissed these previous objections, arguing that recent evidence does not support them. Critics have already denounced the bond scheme as a 'legalized shakedown' that could make the visa process unaffordable for many legitimate travelers.