The United States government announced that it will request a deposit of up to $ 15,000 for tourism visas applicants from countries with high rates of people who exceed their authorized permanence in the North American country.
The State Department published a notification in the Federal Registry on the next start of a 12-month pilot program for foreigners requesting the B-1/B-2 visas, reserved for businesses or pleasure, although it indicated that it will publish later the list of affected countries.
“Consular officials may require non -immigrant visa applicants to pay a bond of up to $ 15,000 as a condition for the issuance of the visa,” establishes the official document.
The program estimates that about 2,000 applicants will face the payment of an average bond of $ 10,000 during the pilot program and that, after demonstrating that they will not remain in the United States, foreigners could obtain the total money reimbursement.
The administration of President Donald Trump justified the measure estimating that there are more than 500,000 people than in fiscal year 2023, the most recent data, which exceeded the permanence of their visas.
With the program, “the department sends a message to all countries to take immediate actions to encourage their citizens to comply with the United States Immigration Law and address insufficient identity verification and criminal records,” argues the document.
This bond adds to the increase in visa costs approved in July in “The Great and beautiful Law” of Trump, such as the “Visa Integrity Rate” of at least $ 250 to the permits of all foreigners entering the country as visitors.
The United States issued almost 11 million non -immigrant visas in 2024, according to figures from the State Department.
Trump’s law also imposes increases in the value of other applications, since for the first time migrants must not only pay a rate to request asylum, set at 100 dollars, but an additional price of 100 dollars each year that the application is pending resolution.
(With EFE report)
