The U.S. is introducing a permanent visa deposit requirement for citizens of 50 countries
2 August 04:17
Starting August 3, the U.S. will impose a permanent visa bond of up to $20,000 on citizens of 50 countries, including Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing DW.
This applies to business and tourist visas (B-1/B-2). The amount of the deposit will be determined by a consular officer on a case-by-case basis. According to a statement from the U.S. State Department, the deposit will be returned to the visa holder if they leave the U.S. within the specified time frame, do not use the visa, or are denied entry. The deposit will be forfeited if the person violates the terms of their stay in the country.
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In addition to Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, the list of countries includes, among others, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Tunisia, Uganda, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and other countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. Russia is not included on this list.
During the pilot project, U.S. authorities recorded fewer than 50 cases of visa violations
As explained by the U.S. State Department, the list includes countries whose citizens most frequently committed visa violations. This precautionary measure is necessary to reduce the number of cases of visa misuse and overstaying in the U.S., according to the department’s statement.
Previously, the bond program operated on a pilot basis—and applicants could be required to post a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on the circumstances. Now, the minimum threshold of $5,000 is being eliminated, and the maximum amount is being increased to $20,000. The U.S. Department of State emphasized that it considers the results of the pilot program to be successful.
According to the Associated Press, in fiscal year 2024, citizens of countries on the list overstayed their visas in the U.S. in nearly 45,500 cases. During the first 10 months of the pilot program, U.S. authorities recorded fewer than 50 such cases. At the same time, according to the AP, the number of visas issued to citizens of these countries also decreased by 83%.
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