Just what everyone needs, another tourism crackdown.
On the heels of launching a $250 USD visa fee for permanent residents of Canada, the US is launching another wildly expensive deterrent on visitors of certain countries.
The resurgent Trump administration is slapping bonds of up to $15,000 ($20,700 CAD) on some travellers seeking to enter the country under a new 12-month pilot programme targeting visitors from nations with historically high visa overstay rates.
The programme begins on 20AUG and will end 05AUG, 2026, according to a temporary final rule posted in the Federal Register.
The bond requirement applies to leisure and business travellers seeking five-and-ten-year B-1 or B-2 visas from countries with high visa overstay rates, nations where screening information is deemed insufficient, or countries offering citizenship by investment without residency requirements, which places Caribbean countries directly in the firing line.
Consular officers will determine bond amounts based on travellers’ personal circumstances, including their reason for travel, employment, income, skills and education. Three bond levels exist: $5,000 ($6,900 CAD), $10,000 ($13,800 CAD) and $15,000 ($20,700 CAD).
The US Department of Homeland Security’s 2023 Entry/Exit Overstay Report identifies countries with the highest overstay rates by number such as Mexico with approximately 49,000, Colombia with 41,000, Haiti with 27,000, Venezuela with 22,000, Brazil with 21,000 and Dominican Republic with 20,000.
The initiative comes as part of the latest anti-tourism efforts by the Trump administration to tighten US immigration laws, following a travel ban on nationals from 12 countries in June and a $250 ($345 CAD) vaguely named “visa integrity fee” announcement earlier in July.
As part of the strengthening of visa rules, travellers required to pay bonds must enter and depart the US through specific ports of entry, further weakening the US’ appeal.
The Trump administration’s pilot programme serves multiple purposes, according to the State Department. Officials aim to assess the feasibility of processing and discharging bonds, which the government previously deemed “cumbersome,” whilst determining whether bonds encourage visitors to comply with visa terms.
The programme also functions as a “tool of diplomacy” intended to encourage foreign governments to reduce their nationals’ overstay rates and improve travel screening processes.
It is estimated 42% of the 11 million people living in the US without authorization entered on valid visas but never departed.
