The Trump administration makes a new lunge in migratory matters and takes up a controversial measure introduced briefly during its first mandate. It is a standard that will require some business and tourism visas applicants to deposit a bail of 5,000, 10,000 or $ 15,000 to enter the United States. It is aimed at citizens of countries with high permanence rates in the US and low security in their internal documentation processes, and will enter into force on August 20, according to a notice published in the Federal Registry. It will start as a one -year pilot program. The National Security Department states that the objective of this program is to ensure that the Government does not incur extra expenses when a visitor breaches the terms of the visa. «Foreigners requesting visas as temporary visitors for businesses or pleasure and are nationals identified with high permanence rates, in which the selection and verification information is considered poor, offer citizenship programs for investment, especially in cases when a foreigner obtains citizenship without a residence requirement, they will be subject to the pilot program,» says the official document. A previous version of this migration policy was issued in November 2020 In the final stretch of Trump's first mandate. It was not completely applied due to the dramatic fall in international trips as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. That version affected about two dozen countries, mostly Africans, with permanence rates greater than 10%. Traditionally, the State Department has discouraged similar measures due to the cumbersome process of depositing and canceling the bond. This time, those who pay it, will receive it back when leaving the country, naturalize as citizens or in case of death. However, if a traveler exceeds the time of his stay, he could lose the deposit to cover the costs associated with his deportation. The citizens of the countries that participate in the Visa Exemption Program are out of the measure, and the consular officials will reserve the right to condemn the bail as the case may be. This measure is now added to the recent “integrity rate” of 250 dollars, which will enter into force in 2026, and the applicants of most non -immigrant visas will be charged, such as the tourist, student or work visa, raising the cost of some in almost 500 dollars.
What countries could be affected?
The Government has not provided an estimate of the number of applicants who could be affected, nor a list of countries that must take advantage of the norm. However, 2023 data from the Office of Customs and Border Protection reveal that among the nations with high permanence rates after the expiration of the visa are Angola, Liberia, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cabo Verde, Burkina Faso and Afghanistan. The list of affected countries will be published 15 days before the start of the program and could be updated with a similar warning. In the 2020 version of the pilot program, the measure fell on travelers from Afghanistan, Angola, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Liberia, Libya, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
