Trump expands $15,000 visa bond to six new African countries

The Trump administration will require citizens of 50 countries to post a $15,000 bond to apply for entry into the United States, a State Department official said on Wednesday.

Twelve nations are being added to a list that already includes 38 countries, the majority of them in Africa. The expanded programme takes effect on April 2 and applies to applicants seeking B1 or B2 visas for business and tourism.

The newly added countries are Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the programme is designed to deter visitors from overstaying their visas. Bonds will be refunded to those who return home within the terms of their visa or who do not travel.

The 38 countries already on the list include Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe among others.

The State Department said the programme has reduced the number of people overstaying their visas since it was introduced.

The expansion is the latest in a series of restrictive immigration measures under Trump, who has pursued mass deportations, visa and green card revocations, and social media screening of immigrants since returning to office in January. He also imposed a travel ban last June that fully or partially blocked citizens of 19 countries on national security grounds.

SOURCE: Reuters