Trump Administration Expands Visa Bond Requirement to 38 Countries
By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a significant move, the Trump administration has announced an expansion of the countries whose passport holders will be required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States.
Following the addition of seven countries to the list last week, the State Department has now included 25 more nations, bringing the total to 38. The new bond requirement will come into effect on Jan. 21, as per an official notice on the travel.state.gov website.
Most of the newly added countries are in Africa, with some in Latin America and Asia. This move is expected to make the U.S. visa application process financially challenging for many individuals.
This decision is part of the ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to strengthen entry requirements into the U.S., including mandatory in-person interviews for citizens of countries requiring visas and the disclosure of extensive social media histories and travel details.
U.S. officials have emphasized the effectiveness of the visa bonds, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, in preventing visa overstays by citizens of targeted countries.
While payment of the bond does not guarantee visa approval, it will be refunded if the visa is denied or if the visa holder complies with the visa terms.
The newly added countries subject to the visa bond requirement include Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.
They join the existing list of countries like Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Gambia, Guinea, Malawi, Namibia, and others.
