US to revive $15,000 visa bond program for travelers from high-risk countries

The U.S. State Department is preparing to roll out a visa bond program that would require travelers from certain countries to pay up to $15,000 before entering the U.S. on tourist or business visas.

The move revives a Trump-era policy first proposed in November 2020, targeting countries with high visa overstay rates many of them in Africa.

According to a draft rule, the 12-month pilot program would apply to nationals from countries…