What the State Department said took effect Jan. 1
The Trump administration has added seven countries to a U.S. visa bond program requiring some applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000 before they can receive visas, according to a notice posted on the travel.state.gov website. The State Department said the designations took effect on Jan. 1.
The added countries are Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan. With those changes, a total of 13 countries are now on the bond list, with all but two in Africa.
How the bond requirement works
U.S. officials have defended the bonds as a tool to ensure that citizens of the targeted countries do not overstay their visas. The bonds can range from $5,000 up to $15,000, but the payment does not guarantee that a visa will be granted.
AP reported that the bond amount will be refunded if the visa is denied, and that refunds are also available when a visa holder demonstrates they complied with the terms of the visa.
Part of broader entry tightening
AP said the bond requirement is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten requirements for entry to the United States. That includes requiring visa applicants to attend in-person interviews and to disclose years of social media histories, along with detailed accounts of their and their families’ previous travel and living arrangements.
Countries added earlier
The seven new designations build on an earlier expansion. AP said the bond list already included Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi and Zambia, which were placed on the list in August and October of the prior year.