United States: Trump administration raises to 50 the number of countries whose citizens will have to pay a bond for a visa.

The United States has announced the expansion of a program imposing a financial bond on foreign nationals wishing to obtain a tourist or business visa. Currently in effect for 38 countries, it will be extended to twelve new nations, including Cambodia and Tunisia, starting from April 2.

According to Reuters, “the expanded visa bond program requires these foreign nationals to pay $15,000 for a B1 or B2 tourism or business visa.” The list also includes Ethiopia, Georgia, Mongolia, and Nicaragua. The stated goal is to reduce abuses related to temporary visas, especially cases of overstaying the authorized duration.

The State Department states that nearly 1,000 foreigners have obtained a visa under this program, with a 97% compliance rate. The bond is refunded if visa conditions are met or if the trip does not take place. Refunds will be issued to visa holders who return to their country in accordance with visa conditions.

This measure is part of a broader immigration policy led by the Trump administration since January. The aim is to prevent visitors from exceeding their visa validity period. According to the State Department, the average cost of deporting an undocumented immigrant is $18,000, while immigrant visa procedures have been halted in 75 countries.

A total of 50 countries are now affected by this program. In addition to the twelve new states: Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia. The initial list included Algeria, Bangladesh, Cuba, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Venezuela, and Zambia, mainly in Africa but also in Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.