Washington: The State Department is proposing that applicants for business and tourist visas post a bond of up to USD 15,000 to enter the United States, a move that could make the process unaffordable for many.

In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it would launch a 12-month pilot programme under which people from countries with high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds of USD 5,000, USD 10,000 or USD 15,000 when they apply for a visa.

A preview of the notice, posted on the Federal Register website on Monday, said the pilot would take effect within 15 days of publication and aims to ensure the US government is not financially liable if a visitor violates visa terms.

“Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure and who are nationals of countries identified by the department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering citizenship by investment... may be subject to the pilot programme,” the notice said.

The countries affected would be listed once the programme takes effect, it said.

The bond would not apply to citizens of countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Programme and could be waived for others depending on an applicant's individual circumstances.

Visa bonds have been proposed in the past but not implemented. The State Department has traditionally discouraged them due to the cumbersome process of posting and discharging bonds and the potential for public misperception.

However, the department said that previous view “is not supported by any recent examples or evidence, as visa bonds have not generally been required in any recent period.”