US considers requiring visa bonds of up to $15,000 for certain applicants from high-risk countries

The U.S. State Department is proposing that applicants for tourist and business visas be required to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the country, which could make the process unaffordable for some.

In a notice posted on the Federal Register’s website and scheduled to be published on Tuesday, the State Department said it would kick off a 12-month pilot program for people from countries with high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls to be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, when applying for a visa.

The proposal comes as President Donald Trump and his administration work to tighten requirements for visa applicants.