People line up to apply for US entry visas outside the US Embassy in Colombia in May - Photo: AFP
According to Reuters, the White House has announced a pilot program to collect security deposits for certain types of tourist or business visas from countries with high visa overstay rates.
According to the Federal Register, this program allows U.S. consular officials full discretion to collect deposits from travelers from these countries, or countries where screening and verification are deemed insufficient.
Consular officers will offer three deposit options: $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The $10,000 deposit is considered the most common expectation in most cases. This amount will be refunded to the traveler if they leave the United States in accordance with the terms of their visa.
This new pilot visa program will take effect on August 20th and last for approximately one year. A State Department spokesperson said the list of countries affected by the pilot program will be updated over time.
The official also stated that the criteria used to determine which countries are affected include: high rates of visa breaches, frequent shortcomings in screening and verification processes, and foreign policy considerations.
The U.S. Travel Association, representing major travel-related companies, estimates that "the scope of the visa pilot program appears limited, with only about 2,000 applicants affected, mostly from a handful of countries with relatively low levels of tourism to the U.S."
This move is part of US President Donald Trump's efforts to strengthen control over illegal immigration. In recent days, Trump has increased resources to protect the border and arrest those who remain in the US illegally.
In June, he also issued an order banning all or some citizens from 19 countries from entering the US on national security grounds.
Notably, a similar pilot program was launched in November 2020 during the final months of Trump's first term, but was not fully implemented due to the sharp decline in global travel related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/my-thi-diem-thu-toi-da-15-000-usd-tien-dat-coc-cho-visa-du-lich-20250805084114859.htm
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