Trump administration unveils plan to charge visa security deposit up to $15,000

In a controversial move aimed at reducing visa overstays, the Trump administration has unveiled a new pilot program requiring certain foreign visitors to pay bonds of up to USD 15,000 before entering the United States.

The initiative, announced Monday by the State Department, will apply to tourists and business travelers from countries with historically high rates of overstaying visas.

Under the 12-month trial, visitors from selected nations will be asked to post a bond ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 15,000. The sum would be refunded if the visitor leaves the US on time, but forfeited in cases of overstay. The list of countries included in the program has not yet been released, but officials say it will be determined using data from the Department of Homeland Security.

“This 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 and deficient screening and vetting,” the new rule states, as published in the Federal Register. The administration cited 2023 data estimating that more than half a million visitors likely remained in the country past their authorized stay.

The initiative also applies to individuals from countries deemed to have inadequate security screening processes and to those who were granted US citizenship through investment programs or without meeting a residency requirement.

Consular officers will be responsible for determining whether a visa applicant must pay the bond and, if so, how much. The department says the program is meant to evaluate whether collecting such bonds is feasible in practice, a concept previously dismissed as impractical.

The rule is scheduled to take effect on August 20, with participating US airports announced two weeks in advance.

A similar bond system had been considered during the first Trump administration but was shelved as international travel plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic.