WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department says it is adding 12 countries to a growing list of countries whose citizens must post deposits of up to $15,000 to apply for U.S. visas.
From April 2, passport holders from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia will be required to pay a deposit. The deposit will be refunded if the visa application is refused, or if approved, the person complies with the terms of the visa.
That’s according to a notice posted on the State Department’s website on Wednesday.
After April 2, citizens of 50 countries will be subject to the requirement, which the Trump administration introduced last year to crack down on visa overstays and curb illegal immigration more broadly.
Under the program, visa applicants from designated countries, many of which are in Africa and have high overdue rates, must post a security deposit of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, depending on their circumstances and at the discretion of the consular officer processing the application.
“The Visa Bond Program has proven effective in significantly reducing the number of visa recipients who expired and remained in the United States illegally,” the department said, adding that of the nearly 1,000 people who posted bonds, nearly 97 percent did not have their visas expired.
The full list of countries is here.
