WASHINGTON, United States — The United States (US) Department has proposed a pilot programme that could require business and tourist visa applicants from certain countries to pay a bond of up to US$15,000 to enter the United States, a move that could make travel significantly more expensive for many.

According to a notice published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the 12-month programme would apply to travellers from countries with high visa overstay rates and weak internal document security. Depending on the applicant’s profile, the bond amount could range from US$5,000 to US$15,000.

The bond requirement is intended to serve as a safeguard to ensure compliance with visa terms and to protect the US government from financial liability in cases where visitors overstay their visas, according to AP news.

“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, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot programme,” the notice said.

The programme is expected to begin within 15 days of its formal publication. Affected countries will be named once the pilot launches.

AP news revealed that the new requirement will not apply to travellers from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program. In some cases, applicants may receive individual waivers based on specific circumstances.

The bond proposal comes on the heels of another recent policy change. The State Department announced last week that many visa renewal applicants will now be required to attend additional in-person interviews reversing a previous policy that had waived such requirements.

Additionally, the department is proposing that applicants for the Diversity Visa Lottery programme present valid passports from their country of citizenship when applying.

Although visa bonds have been discussed in the past, they have rarely been implemented. The department previously discouraged the idea, citing the complexity of collecting and returning the bond as well as concerns over public perception. However, the latest notice points out that this opposition “is not supported by any recent examples or evidence, as visa bonds have not generally been required in any recent period”.

The pilot programme, if fully implemented, would represent a significant shift in US visa policy and could impact thousands of travellers annually.