DHS says it will cost more than $17,000 to detain and deport each foreign tourist who will not leave. So you need to post your bonds before you come.
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The Trump administration requires that some foreign tourists post $15,000 in bonds before coming to the US.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, less than 1.5% of foreign travelers arriving by air or sea in 2023 had overstayed their visas in 2023. This is about 565,000 people who stayed too much for over 38 million foreign tourists who departed on time.
However, some countries have a higher rate of overstaying than others.
As part of the 12-month pilot program, the Trump administration plans to apply bond rules to countries where travelers ignore visa conditions more frequently and stay beyond their expiration dates, according to a notice released in the federal register on August 4th.
The notification did not specify which countries will be targeted, but said the list will be posted on the State Department’s website later this month.
Travelers from countries including the UK, Spain and France are 40,000, 15,000 and 9,000 tourists, respectively, with the highest total total. However, they are one of the countries that belong to the Visa Waiver Program and are not included in the Bond Pilot Program.
Visa exemptions allow tourists in these countries to travel here without prior visa application.
According to US Customs and Border Protection, many countries with the highest percentage of overstays have the lowest numbers of visitors to the US. These include places like Burma, with overstay rates of 27%, or 543 individuals. Or Liberia with 19% overstays, or 214 individuals.
Others like Colombia continued their visas in fiscal year 2023, with a total number of total ranges and above average rates (40,884 travelers from Colombia).
The pilot program applies only to visas issued for air and sea travel and does not include land travel from Canada or Mexico. The US government currently has little way to track departures through entry areas.
Visa bonds range from $5,000 to $15,000 per traveler and must be paid to the US Treasury before issuing a visa. The money will be refunded to travelers who depart on time.
The DHS estimates it will cost more than $17,000 to arrest, detain and deport any remaining foreign visitors in the country beyond the required departure date.
