President Trump is of course very passionate about immigration. We’ve seen his administration introduce a travel ban targeting 19 countries, and he also plans to introduce a bizarre $250 “visa integrity fee” for visitors from select countries.
Well, that visa integrity fee is nothing compared to another initiative that will soon be rolled out, requiring visitors to the United States to post bond of up to $15,000 in order to get a visa.
In this post:
State Department will require some visitors to post bond
The State Department plans to roll out a 12-month pilot program that will require foreign nationals from certain countries to post a bond of up to $15,000, in order to get a business or tourism visa. The idea is that bonds may be required for travelers from countries that have high rates of visa overstays, or where screening and vetting information is deficient.
It’s not yet clear which countries will be covered by this program, but the countries will be announced at least 15 days before this new policy takes effect. It’s expected that this new policy will take effect this month, and the pilot program will run through August 2026. This program is a response to Trump’s executive order to stem illegal immigration into the United States.
Per the document that has been published so far:
The Pilot Program is further designed to serve as a diplomatic tool to encourage foreign governments to take all appropriate actions to ensure robust screening and vetting for all citizens in matters of identity verification and public safety, to create safeguards in CBI programs that provide citizenship without any residency in the country, and to encourage specified countries with visa overstays to ensure their nationals timely depart the United States after making temporary visits.
I mean… what can we really say about this?
It goes without saying that people will be in one of two camps on this (and I’ll try to describe this as diplomatically as possible).
In one camp, you have people who think it’s important to do absolutely everything possible to keep out undocumented migrants and those who may overstay their visa, no matter what impact it has on other aspects of society, including tourism numbers.
In the other camp, you have people who think this concept borders on cruel and racist, and who think that all of these new policies will have a negative impact on tourism, which is bad for the economy.
Regardless of how you feel about immigration, I will say, I feel sorry for the potential impact this will have on those living in the United States with family from other countries. Many people may struggle with the bond, and it’ll make it significantly more challenging for them to reunite with their families.
No matter what country we’re talking about, I’m not a fan of creating barriers to travel. I’ve been saying that for the 17+ years that I’ve been writing this blog, and I believe that whether it comes in the form of something as minor as an electronic travel authorization, or something as major as requiring travelers to post bond to visit a country.
The United States is certainly in uncharted territory when it comes to the extent of the travel restrictions that we’re seeing. Visa integrity fees and having to post bond to visit a country?! What a time to be alive! It almost makes some travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic look mild, by comparison.
Bottom line
The United States plans to introduce new travel restrictions, in the form of requiring visitors from select countries to post bond of up to $15,000 in order to get a tourism or business visa for the United States. This is targeted at those people from countries where a lot of people overstay visas, or where limited vetting is possible.
We should shortly see what countries are included in this… oy. Usually you associate posting bond with jail, so I guess it says something about how we’re viewing visitors.
What do you make of the United States adding a bond requirement for some visas?
Mendacious megalomaniac.
Boycott the World Cup and Olympics
It's naive to assume that this changes the system from "we give you a visa because we trust you" to "we only give you a visa if there is a financial incentive for you to go home." The truth is that many friends and family members have no hope of getting a visa to come to the US to visit friends or family, because on paper they don't have adequate incentive to return. Their US...
It's naive to assume that this changes the system from "we give you a visa because we trust you" to "we only give you a visa if there is a financial incentive for you to go home." The truth is that many friends and family members have no hope of getting a visa to come to the US to visit friends or family, because on paper they don't have adequate incentive to return. Their US contacts are more than willing to post "up to" 15K to allow them an opportunity to visit. And their may be financiers in their home country that can provide the service that bonding companies do here: for a percentage fee, we'll post the bond because we know you and your local contacts better than some US consular official.
I vote for more visas with deposits, over no visas at all.
So many of the blissfully ignorant in the comments cheering this on, make sure to keep that same energy when the next country you visit treats you the same way! Boneheaded Americans think our country is the only one in the world!
I am hardly cheering this on but there is a dynamic that you and a whole lot of other people don't quite understand.
No one expected the huge tariff wars that Trump started - and yet we are finding country after country that is simply agreeing to pay 15% tariffs and invest in the US because they stand to lose too much if they don't.
The flow of tourist money works the same way.
There...
I am hardly cheering this on but there is a dynamic that you and a whole lot of other people don't quite understand.
No one expected the huge tariff wars that Trump started - and yet we are finding country after country that is simply agreeing to pay 15% tariffs and invest in the US because they stand to lose too much if they don't.
The flow of tourist money works the same way.
There are probably countries that will add reciprocal tariffs but most countries recognize that the US is simply so large of a market that you have to accept the terms it sets.
Will some of that stuff change in 3 1/2 years? maybe.
But also Trump might convince a whole lot of people that the "we're all just friends" motif doesn't really work in reality and when you can collect hundreds of billions in tariff revenue, why would you walk away from it?
The same could potentially be true with bonds for high risk visitors.
It wouldn't been my idea but maybe, just maybe, it will open up a different approach to the flow of people around the world and not everyone will end up coming to the US that did before even if some Americans won't be able to move as freely as they once did.
and lost in all of this is whether the US will accept non-refundable deposits for tourism services such as Disneyworld tickets and packages as part of the bond.
The people that were "just coming to visit family" and weren't intending to spend much money in the US aren't really a loss.
That's not how it works at all. They are agreeing to tariffs in the short term while they reorient and diversify their economies to minimize trade risk from the United States because we've proven ourselves an obviously unreliable trade and political partner. Since the second world war, the United States has very effectively proselytized free trade to open foreign economies to trade, provide American businesses with competitive advantages, offshore dangerous and outmoded low-tech manufacturing jobs,...
That's not how it works at all. They are agreeing to tariffs in the short term while they reorient and diversify their economies to minimize trade risk from the United States because we've proven ourselves an obviously unreliable trade and political partner. Since the second world war, the United States has very effectively proselytized free trade to open foreign economies to trade, provide American businesses with competitive advantages, offshore dangerous and outmoded low-tech manufacturing jobs, and provide cheap goods for Americans. By leveraging the scale of American consumption we've been able to subtly advance our interests throughout the world by slowly making the global economy interdependent upon ourselves. This interdependence has led to rises in the quality of life for people all over the world, but especially Americans. It's also contributed to the waning of out and out interstate armed conflict since the end of the cold war.
That type of soft power only works if you pretend not to use it. When you make threats to cripple allied economies every other day and prove that you have zero regard for previous agreements, other countries notice. Americans will pay higher import taxes for goods in the short term, and see global capital flight in the long term. We will find ourselves poorer, dirtier, and unwelcome abroad for these policies, at least for your lifetime if not mine and your children's. There's a reason nobody here has been stupid enough to try these ideas since they triggered Great Depression. Entertaining them is at this point, irresponsible.
I'm not trying to launch a personal attack, but you betray your lack of understanding when you suggest tariffs are paid by the exporting country. They are paid by the importer, and ultimately the consumers of the importing country. Let's start there. I suggest you look into Friedman (M), Fukuyama (F), or Friedman (T.L.). The FT, Foreign Policy, and Foreign Affairs also have good reporting and essays.
This comes from the person who.mothballed the bipartisan immigration reform bill. Shameful
Visa overstays is an issue, especially security issue and should be addressed. But it isn’t as big of an issue as the administration is making it out to be.
For FY2023 the overstay rate is estimated to be < 1.45%. 0.62% (99k from 16m+) amongst visitors from the VWP and 3.2% (314k out of ~10m) from non-VWP. These numbers exclude the students, exchange visitors, and visitors from Canada & Mexico i.e. ~230k visa overstays will...
Visa overstays is an issue, especially security issue and should be addressed. But it isn’t as big of an issue as the administration is making it out to be.
For FY2023 the overstay rate is estimated to be < 1.45%. 0.62% (99k from 16m+) amongst visitors from the VWP and 3.2% (314k out of ~10m) from non-VWP. These numbers exclude the students, exchange visitors, and visitors from Canada & Mexico i.e. ~230k visa overstays will not even be covered by this bond. So, this “solution” doesn’t really solve the problem, but is a good optics to pacify the racists, and dumb-nuts.
Hail Trump
This on the back of firsthand reports of Vegas being deserted? Oh, Ben! You just made my week!
I want to know how this might impact dealmaking for U.S. VCs who rely on strategic acquisitions to expand. Y’all will say it’s niche, but I promise you it’s the little things that add up
Most countries will quickly reciprocate with similar requirements for Americans to enter their countries. We'll see how that goes when Americans will have to post $15,000 bonds in order to travel to Thailand, Mexico, Morocco, etc. etc. Get your trips in quickly before it all goes into effect.
Look on the bright side: There will soon be much less competition for those elusive award seats to Hanoi and Cairo!
“There will soon be much less competition for those elusive award seats to Hanoi and Cairo!”
That may be, but what’s the upside when there are far fewer flight *flights* to Hanoi and Cairo?
We also have to pay for visas to other countries, i.e. Thailand DTV visa is $400. Is the outrage only one way, as usual?
This new requirement is not for all visitors, not even close, but you'd never know from the title. That's all leftists need to satiate their appetite for rage I guess.
Thailand travel is visa free. Did you just pull that factoid out of your a%%?
Thai tourist visas are issued on arrival and are free for US visitors.
The DTV visa is $300 and is good for five years.
Extremely extremely misleading and disappointing comment by the OP.
$300 is insanely cheap for a five year visa with (limited) residency rights.
The US does not have a similar programme or visa but the J-1 visa that would allow you to intern or be a camp counsellor or some such costs US$160 to apply, $205 for the SEVIS fee and, $105 to issue (for an Australian at least) - that only gets you 12 months.
When I did my F-1, renewals for that and then H1-B my fees were way higher and that was 15 years ago.
DTV is ~$300/180-day stays for up to 5 years vs the American 15k visa
It's not even close you magat moron
All I know is, there will be a whole lot of changes in Laws once Trump leaves Office. Many will be gone with a stroke of a pen with Executive Orders. But the Damage will be done.
There is no such thing as an undocumented migrant.
This is most definetly going to be an issue for people in the US who's families would like to come and visit them.
This includes my extended family. I have been trying to get them to get a visa for years. They finally agreed, but thr next available visa appointment is over a year from now for their country's US Embassy. Now there is this rule which will likely hinder their ability to come,...
This is most definetly going to be an issue for people in the US who's families would like to come and visit them.
This includes my extended family. I have been trying to get them to get a visa for years. They finally agreed, but thr next available visa appointment is over a year from now for their country's US Embassy. Now there is this rule which will likely hinder their ability to come, especially if the bond is $15,000 is per person.
@Ben - Do you know if the bond is per person or per party? If it is per person, is the price discounted for children or dependents?
Learn to read.
and I have friends that would love to have family come and have the money to post a bond but can't get a visa because of the high overstay rate for their country.
This might actually make it easier for some people to get appointments and to get approved.
Plenty of hotels and car rental companies ask for a security deposit.
Feel free to provide a list of countries that this will impact but I doubt it will be the many if any of the highest countries by US visitor volume
Tim normally I think people are too hard on you but this is a boneheaded take. Go live at Hertz or a Red Roof Inn if you think that's how the country should be run.
if you think that Red Roof Inn and Hertz are the only travel providers that put a block on your credit card, you are living under a big rock.
I get that this is a bond for PEOPLE but the concept of putting a dollar amount on risk is not at all unheard of.
I'm well aware, I work in global risk pricing. It's literally my job. Your analogy is not a relevant or useful comparison.
I wonder what FIFA and the US host cities for the 2026 World Cup are going to have to say about all of this. I can’t imagine they are going to be thrilled, since this presumably will still be in place for the duration.
As if the Trump administration hadn’t already made the prospect of attending games in Canada/Mexico more appealing, this is only going to make them moreso.
Time for FIFA to get the U.S. games moved to Canada and Mexico or entire teams from hell-hole countries that qualified won't be able to play their games here. This should be done sooner than later.
Hell hole countries? Hmm you mean the current host?
@JOHN. Football or soccer as you folks call it is the world’s largest spectator sports game in the world. It generates an immense amount of jobs and billions in dollars of revenue for cities & countries alike.
The entire planet benefits from this game.
Just spend a couple of days at a major International airport and you will understand the "why" of this. Just enter a Lyft ride and discover your driver speaks no English, is not following the ride plan and looks nothing like he is supposed to. 9There is much credential sharing where logit drivers and paid by the shift for allowing others to drive with their ID.
Sure I understand the ramifications. My wife's family...
Just spend a couple of days at a major International airport and you will understand the "why" of this. Just enter a Lyft ride and discover your driver speaks no English, is not following the ride plan and looks nothing like he is supposed to. 9There is much credential sharing where logit drivers and paid by the shift for allowing others to drive with their ID.
Sure I understand the ramifications. My wife's family had difficulty visiting my wife with stage$ Cancer.
By the way, all those concerned about the lost tourist revenue, simply calculate the lost hospital revenue when an illegal comes for care. They get immediate, 30 day Medicaid and get the best treatment in the world at taxpayers ultimate expense.
Stage$ cancer is any cancer you may get in the US.
In addition, taking potshots at anyone who doesn’t speak English well is a bit hypocritical based on the legibility of your comment.
The racists are gonna love this one.
This is an utterly foolish, asinine, dim-witted, nonsensical, boneheaded idea that will ultimately hurt us.
But still better than open borders. Sigh.
For those of you who are against all of Donald Trump's common sense immigration reforms, look in the mirror and ask yourself, do you lock your doors at night? Why do you live in a gated community? How many illegal aliens have you housed in your home?
Do I lock my door at night? Yes. Am I worried about an undocumented person breaking in? No. Am I worried about a citizen of the US breaking in, Yes. I don't live in a gated community. You act like if we had no undocumented immigrants we would have no crime.
Right… people like you are the reason this country is so effed up.
Most Americans agreed immigration reform was necessary in ~2022. Most Americans agree that what's happening right now is draconian, arbitrary, and harmful. "Common sense" is at best a misnomer. Immigration is not all or nothing.
To note, this is for visitors requiring a B1/B2 visa, which therefore means it does NOT apply to everyone who is eligible for the visa waiver program (i.e. most Western tourists, also Japanese, Korean, etc. - though not, say, India and China). Similarly, this would (as it is currently written) not apply to students (F-1 / J-1 visas).
Tally ho, old pips! It was nice when there was a welcoming tourist infrastructure.
Oh, Chris...tourists are still welcome. Visa overstayers are not. Come to think of it, isn't that the same policy of [checks the list] ALL countries on planet Earth?
Shhh, John. Facts and common sense are a foreign concept for Chris. He needs his TDS to feel morally superior.
It seems to me if this was paired with visa reforms that made getting a visa to the US easy, it would be a net good thing. Of course, with this administration, it won’t.
The last thing we need is it being easier to get a visa. Due diligence should be required of any country allowing foreigners to enter. I have zero issues when I visit a country requiring them. And this will be targeted to the most heinous offenders. I believe I saw the stats that Venezuela was the worst, with over 40% staying past their deadline. That's just disrespectful and illegal. I have no issue with any...
The last thing we need is it being easier to get a visa. Due diligence should be required of any country allowing foreigners to enter. I have zero issues when I visit a country requiring them. And this will be targeted to the most heinous offenders. I believe I saw the stats that Venezuela was the worst, with over 40% staying past their deadline. That's just disrespectful and illegal. I have no issue with any country prioritizing it's security. And if you don't know where your visitors are, you're not secure.
@Ben, you nailed it.
@Fsuga, the problem is what you describe is the very type of “rights infringement” that the people pushing the changes are against. They don’t want the government to track its citizens to keep us safe, but they’re all for tracking the imaginary bogeyman that “someone” has convinced them is the root of all evil.
And after all of this they detain you at the airport, strip search you and maybe send you to El Salvador!
It's a stupid proposal of course, but it got me wondering whether some sort of "bail" system could be used for people who can't get visa for economic (not security) reasons. In the EU we often deal with people who want to visit from countries that are high risk in terms of irregular immigration. Some of these people are actually doing very well but due to being in a somewhat unusual life situation, they can't...
It's a stupid proposal of course, but it got me wondering whether some sort of "bail" system could be used for people who can't get visa for economic (not security) reasons. In the EU we often deal with people who want to visit from countries that are high risk in terms of irregular immigration. Some of these people are actually doing very well but due to being in a somewhat unusual life situation, they can't really prove sufficient ties to their home countries . Some sort of a system where they could pay a deposit to be issued a visa and then have it refunded afterwards could be a good solution. Again, this would not apply where security reasons are the base for visa denial.
This made think of guaranteed credit cards. I had one once, until I was able to build a credit history...
oh hell yes
I think this marks the end of the soccer matches in the US next year.
An expected bonus! The round ball game is overhyped and overrated.
As the rugby ball in the Us.
Mostly nobody care about it in the world contrary to REAL Football.