Malaysians may avoid US visa bond
A report by the US Department of Homeland Security shows that in 2023, of the 44,312 Malaysian leisure and business travellers who were expected to exit the United States, 367 are suspected to have never left the country.
An additional 41 Malaysians left the state side but only after their visa expired, bringing the total number of overstayers to 408.
The 0.92% total overstay rate for Malaysia was the 10th lowest among the 155 countries listed.
The US visa bond is a 12-month pilot programme starting Aug 20, 2025 until Aug 5, 2026.
It applies to leisure and business travellers who need B-1 or B-2 visas to enter the United States.
On Aug 4, a State Department spokesperson was reported by Reuters saying that countries that would fall under the programme would be identified based on 'high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, concerns regarding acquisition of citizenship by investment without a residency requirement, and foreign policy considerations'.
The spokesperson said the list of countries may be updated from time to time.
The US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur declined to comment on whether Malaysia will be affected.
A check of the most recent update of the countries affected, accessible online at http://travel.state.gov, shows that Malaysia is not on the list.
Last updated on Aug 5, the list states that only Malawi and Zambia are currently subject to the visa bond.
The Department of Homeland Security's 2023 overstay report showed that Malawi recorded a total overstay rate of 14.32% while Zambia was at 11.11%.
The State Department website said any citizen or national travelling on a passport issued by countries affected by programme who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond in amounts of US$5,000, US$10,000, or US$15,000 (RM21,161, RM42,322 or RM63,484), determined at the time of the visa interview.
The bond will be returned to the visitor if they do not overstay and adhere to all other terms of their visa.
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