Donald Trump’s administration has proposed new changes to the U.S. visa rules this week. If these new rules are approved, people from certain countries may have to pay a large amount of money as a security bond to enter the U.S., no matter why they are visiting, whether for business or tourism.
As per a report by Reuters news agency, the U.S. State Department is planning to launch a pilot program where visa applicants will need to deposit a bond ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 15,000. In Indian currency, this would be around Rs. 4.2 lakh to Rs. 12.5 lakh. This rule could apply to people traveling for work, business, or even just for holidays.
The main purpose of this bond is to act as a financial guarantee which is to make sure that people who come to the U.S. return to their home country on time. It is meant to prevent visitors from staying in the U.S. illegally after their visa expires. In simple words, visa holders must leave the U.S. before their allowed time ends and should not try to seek asylum or stay there without permission.
U.S. State Department officials were informed about this plan on August 4, and the official notification has already been sent to the Federal Register. The final version of the new rule is expected to be made public by Tuesday, and this new program might start from August 20.
Few countries to be part this pilot project
Trump’s administration has said that this new visa rule will first be tested as a pilot project. But what’s surprising is that it will apply only to a few selected developing countries and India is likely to be one of them.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said that the State Department is planning to start a 12-month pilot program. Under this, adults applying for a U.S. visa may need to pay a bond of USD 10,000, and for children, the bond could be USD 5,000. If the traveler leaves the U.S. on time, they might get their money back.
Once the visa is approved, travelers will be required to enter the U.S. within 30 days, and they must also leave the country before their visa expires.
Trump’s new visa policy may create problems for India
If India is included in this list, Indian citizens, no matter why they are visiting the U.S., may have to pay over Rs. 12 lakh just as a bond before even stepping into the country. This proposal has already started facing criticism. Experts believe that such a high bond amount will make it nearly impossible for people from developing countries to travel to the U.S.
This could lead to a sharp decline in the number of tourists and business travelers going to the US. And this isn’t the first time the Trump administration has suggested such a move. A similar limited pilot program was proposed back in 2020 as well, but it was never implemented by the Biden administration.