USA to require bonds up to $15,000 from some visa applicants to prevent overstaying.

The U.S. State Department plans to launch a 12-month pilot program on August 20 requiring some tourist and business visa applicants from countries with high visa overstay rates to post bonds of up to $15,000. The bonds aim to discourage overstaying and are part of efforts to tighten immigration controls. Consular officers will have discretion to impose bonds based on the applicant's country of origin and vetting information availability. The program follows a similar initiative in 2020 that was not fully implemented due to the pandemic.