Money will be refunded provided the country is exited on time <\/p>\n
The U.S. State Department is expanding its visa bond program for applicants seeking tourist and business visas, which will now cover 50 countries. The new rules will take effect on April 2.<\/p>\n
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua.<\/p>\n
Also read:<\/strong> Visa-free travel does not work everywhere: 7 countries where Ukrainians still face difficulties entering without paperwork<\/p>\n Main points:<\/strong><\/p>\n Mechanism of the bond and refund<\/p>\n According to the updated policy, citizens from high-risk countries for illegal stays in the U.S. will be required to pay a bond of up to<\/strong> $15,000<\/strong>. This amount serves as a guarantee for the traveler’s return home.<\/p>\n The sum is returned to the visa recipient<\/strong> if they comply with the terms of their stay and leave the country on time, or if the trip does not take place.<\/p>\n List of countries and Ukraine’s status<\/p>\n The list includes 12 new countries and 38 countries that were already part of the program. Ukraine is not on this list.<\/strong><\/p>\n New countries (effective April 2):<\/strong> Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Tunisia, and Ethiopia.<\/p>\n Countries already in the program:<\/strong> Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n The State Department notes that it may continue to add countries to the list based on an analysis of immigration risk factors.<\/p>\n Savings for the U.S. budget<\/p>\n The program has already demonstrated high effectiveness: 97% of travelers<\/strong> who paid the bond returned home on time<\/strong>. In comparison, over the past year, more than 44,000 visitors<\/strong> from these 50 countries overstayed their permitted time in the U.S.<\/p>\n The administration notes that the expansion of the program could save up to $800 million<\/strong> annually. The cost of deporting one illegal immigrant averages over $18,000<\/strong> for American taxpayers, making preventive bonds an effective tool for saving public funds.<\/p>\n Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that the U.S. has temporarily suspended visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries, including Russia, Iran, and others. This decision is related to a review of applicant screening procedures, and the restrictions will remain in effect indefinitely until this review is completed, with minimal exceptions.<\/p>\n The U.S. has also changed the rules for obtaining non-immigrant visas. Now, applications can only be submitted in the applicant’s country of citizenship or permanent residence. For Ukrainians, two application points have been designated – in Poland (Krakow and Warsaw), while applying in other countries may complicate the visa acquisition process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Money will be refunded provided there is timely departure from the country The U.S. State Department is expanding its cash bond program for applicants seeking tourist and business visas, which will now cover 50 countries. The new rules will take effect on April 2.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":63923,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"magazine_newspaper_sidebar_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-family-en"],"yoast_head":"\n\n