New Decision from the Trump Administration: A $15,000 Bond Required for a U.S. Visa
August 5, 2025117 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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In a surprising move aimed at tightening immigration controls, the U.S. State Department announced the launch of a new pilot program that requires nationals from certain countries to pay a financial bond of up to $15,000 to obtain a visa to enter the United States.
The decision will take effect 15 days after its publication today, Tuesday, in the official gazette, and will remain in effect for only one year, as part of the Trump administration's policy aimed at reducing illegal immigration rates and ensuring compliance with U.S. residency laws.
According to the department's statement, the decision applies to nationals of countries that require a visa to enter the United States, whether the visit is for tourism or work purposes, but it does not specifically name those countries, leaving that to the discretion of the State Department.
A spokesperson for the department stated that this measure reflects the Trump administration's commitment to "enforcing U.S. immigration laws and protecting national security," noting that the decision specifically targets citizens of countries classified as having high rates of overstaying, in addition to cases where consular officials believe the information provided by the applicant is "insufficient in terms of monitoring and verification."
According to official data, approximately 500,000 people overstayed their permitted duration of stay in the United States during the fiscal year 2023 (from October 2022 to October 2023), prompting the U.S. administration to take stricter steps to limit this phenomenon.
It is worth noting that there are about 40 countries, mostly European, that benefit from the visa waiver program allowing their citizens to stay in the United States for 90 days without a visa; however, this new measure does not apply to them.
This decision comes amid increasing tightening by the Trump administration on visa issuance conditions, particularly for African countries, as part of a broader campaign aimed at reducing irregular migration, which has been a top priority for the U.S. president since his return to the White House last January.
