The United States Government will impose bonds of up to $20,000 on citizens of around 50 countries who apply for tourist and business visas, as part of a strategy to reduce cases of overstays.

New visa requirements

The measure makes permanent a pilot program that began in August of last year and will apply to those who process B-1/B-2 visas, used for tourism trips or business activities.

The affected countries are mostly in West and East Africa, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Benin, Cape Verde and Uganda. Also included are Cuba, Granada, Nicaragua and Venezuela on the American continent.

According to the notice published in the Federal Register, the provision will go into effect next Monday and will allow consular officials to determine the amount of the guarantee, which may be $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000, depending on each case.

They seek to reduce irregular stays

Under this scheme, applicants must cover the deposit before obtaining the visa. The money will be administered by the Treasury Department and the State Department, and will be refunded once the traveler concludes their stay in the United States within the allowed time.

According to the State Department, the measure is part of the Donald Trump administration's strategy to reduce immigration and focuses on countries whose citizens register higher rates of permanence after the expiration of their visas.

The agency reported that, during the first year of the pilot program, some 20,000 people were identified to cover the bail and approximately half gave up continuing with the process.

Likewise, the Government assured that the initiative caused an 83% reduction in the issuance of tourist and business visas for the included countries.

However, immigrant advocacy organizations maintain that this policy represents an economic barrier for those seeking to enter the United States legally, especially citizens of countries with fewer resources and a majority of African descent.

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