STORY: The U.S. could require bonds of up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas under a pilot program launching in two weeks.
The move is part of an effort by the Trump administration to crack down on visitors who overstay their visas.
A government notice issued Monday said the funds will be returned to travelers if they depart in accordance with the terms of their visas.
Ghulam Asghar, who is visiting New York from the UK, isn’t a fan of the new policy.
“As a whole, I think it will be a little unfair with the visitors because it’s a lot of money for them, because normally I think when you come here, you spend – if you are here for 10, 15 days, you will spend maybe 4,000 or 5,000 USD. But if it’s another 15 grand on top, it’s just a lot.”
The program gives U.S. consular officers the discretion to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays, according to a Federal Register notice.
It also said bonds could also be applied to people coming from countries where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient.
Geoff Freeman, who heads the U.S. Travel Association, says he is concerned the policy will serve as a deterrent for people considering visiting the U.S.
“I’m not worried about keeping out the traveler who would overstay their visa, I’m worried about keeping out the millions of people who want to come to the United States, spend their money and go home and tell their friends and family to do the same thing. If we lose those travelers, if those travelers choose to go to other markets, our travel trade deficit will grow, our small businesses will suffer, and the U.S. economy will take a hit.”
President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have led some visitors to skip travel to the United States.
Transatlantic airfares dropped to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic in May, and travel from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. fell by 20% year-over-year.
The new visa program goes into effect later this month and will last for about a year.
The travel industry is already grappling with a provision in a sweeping spending package passed in the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress in July.
It created a $250 “visa integrity fee” for anyone approved for a non-immigrant visa that could potentially be reimbursable for those who comply with visa rules.
“We think this fee could have a substantial deterrence on people choosing to come to the United States. It ranks the United States number two in the world in the most expensive country to get into from a fees standpoint – that’s before you already get into a country that has a strong dollar and is already cited for its high costs as a reason not to come to the United States.”
The $250 fee goes into effect on October 1.
