Starting from August 20, 2025, a pilot program will come into effect in the United States, according to which certain categories of foreign citizens will need to pay a deposit of up to $ 15,000 as a condition for obtaining a visa. The program is designed for 12 months and will end on August 5, 2026. It is aimed at combating exceeding the length of stay on visas, as well as encouraging foreign countries to tighten internal control over migration flows.
According to the published regulatory act, the new measure will affect travelers applying for nonimmigrant visas of categories B-1 (business travel) and B-2 (tourism), and arriving from countries characterized by a high proportion of visa violations, insufficient transparency of the verification system, or practicing issuing citizenship in exchange for investment without a residence requirement.
The list of countries participating in the program will be announced 15 days before the entry into force of the measure. According to the latest report from the US Department of Homeland Security, released on August 5, 2024, the countries with the highest rates of relative overstay include Chad (50%), Laos (35%) and Haiti (31%). In absolute terms, the highest number of violations was registered among citizens of Mexico, Colombia, Haiti, Brazil, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.
The deposit amount will be determined individually and will vary from $ 5,000 to $ 15,000, depending on factors such as the purpose of the visit, income level, employment, education, and other circumstances. The decision is made by the consular officer on the basis of approved instructions. Travelers who are required to pay a security deposit will also be required to enter and leave the country only through pre-determined checkpoints, a list of which will be published separately.
The U.S. State Department estimates that participation in the program will affect about 2,000 people over the entire period of its operation. This is due both to the limited list of countries and to uncertainty about the ability of applicants to pay the required amount.
The main goal of the program is to test the performance of the deposit system and evaluate its effectiveness as a tool for ensuring compliance with the visa regime. In addition, the US authorities expect that the program will become a tool for diplomatic pressure on the governments of other countries, encouraging them to reduce the level of violations among their citizens and strengthen migration procedures.
According to the US Congress, 1 to 2 percent of nonimmigrant visitors violate visa deadlines every year. However, about 42 percent of all people who are illegally in the country initially entered legally, but subsequently did not leave the United States at the end of the visa validity period.
The Department of Homeland Security previously estimated the total number of such violators at more than 320,000 per year, including those who left the country late. The introduction of a visa security deposit, according to US officials, can be an effective tool for reducing this category of violations.
