WASHINGTON - The United States has made its visa bond program permanent.
The State Department’s final rule, effective August 3, replaces a 12-month pilot with a standing requirement for selected business and tourist visa applicants. Nationals of designated countries who otherwise qualify for a B-1/B-2 visa must post a bond before the visa is issued unless officials approve a waiver.
The bond is set at $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000, with consular officers generally expected to choose $15,000. A lower amount may be used when an applicant cannot afford the standard tier but can still finance the trip, while $20,000 may be required when officials consider $15,000 insufficient to encourage a timely departure.
The State Department’s country list covers 50 countries. Those in Asia and the Pacific include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The bond may be paid by the applicant or a third party and is refunded in US dollars to the person who posted it when the visa holder meets the conditions. The money is also returned if the holder does not travel before the visa expires or is refused admission at a US port of entry. Posting a bond does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.
Bonded travellers must enter and make their final departure through commercial airports of entry, including US Customs and Border Protection preclearance locations. They cannot use charter flights, general aviation, land crossings or sea ports to meet the bond conditions.
Waivers are available only in very limited circumstances, including urgent humanitarian travel, and applicants cannot submit a separate waiver application.
The State Department said fewer than 50 overstays were recorded during the pilot’s first 10 months. Visa issuance rates for the covered countries fell 83% from the corresponding period a year earlier, as some applicants appeared to opt out rather than pay a bond.
“Those who paid a bond and were issued a visa overwhelmingly complied with the terms of both the visa and the bond,” the department said.
