US visa applicants from Malawi and Zambia will need to pay bonds of up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas under a new pilot program.
The new rules will apply from Aug. 20, the US State Department said in a notice on its website, as part of a move to discourage visa overstays: The bond amount will be returned once the applicant leaves the country as per the terms of their visa.
Immigration has been a key target of US President Donald Trump’s administration, with Washington imposing a travel ban in June that fully or partially blocks nationals from 19 countries — the majority in Africa – from entering the US on security grounds.
Other nations may also be added to the list of countries facing bond rules, depending on “high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies,” a State Department official told Reuters.
