Some tourists and business travelers may face up to $15,000 bond to enter US
The bonds would be issued to visitors from countries with significant overstay rates, under a 12-month pilot program.
It renews an initiative issued by the first Trump administration in November 2020, the month that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the presidential election. That rule would have required a $15,000 bond for tourist and business travelers from two dozen countries with 10% or higher overstay rates, mostly in Africa.
The new federal registry notice of the visa bond pilot program is scheduled to be published on 5 August.
'The Pilot Program will enable the Department to assess the operational feasibility of posting, processing, and discharging visa bonds, in coordination with the Department of the Treasury ('Treasury') and the Department of Homeland Security ('DHS'), and to inform any future decision concerning the possible use of visa bonds to ensure nonimmigrants using these visa categories comply with the terms and conditions of their visas and timely depart the United States,' it states.
It said it would announce the countries in question at the 'Travel.State.Gov' website no fewer than 15 days before the pilot program takes effect. It also said the list might change, again with 15 days notice.
Tourists and business travelers would receive their bonds back when they depart the US, are naturalized as a citizen or die, according to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement regulations.
The original six-month pilot program was never implemented.
A state department spokesperson told Reuters that countries would be selected 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 department did not provide an estimate on the number of applicants who could be affected.
The Trump administration has cracked down on immigration to the US, including terminating temporary protected status for many people living in the US, and banning immigration visas outright for 12 countries.
The bond policy could build on the president's travel ban, which went into effect in June, mainly impacting countries in the the Middle East and Africa. Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar and Yemen were targeted under the ban and also have high rates of visa overstays. Other countries with high overstay rates include Burundi, Djibouti and Togo, Reuters said, citing federal data from 2023.
The US Travel Association, a group that represents major tourism firms, said in a statement that the scope of the visa bond pilot 'appears to be limited', affecting an estimated 2,000 applicants, likely from countries with low rates of travel to the US.
The state department last month also unveiled new guidance directing US diplomats to review the online activity of foreign students before issuing educational and exchange visas. Students who refuse to unlock their social media profiles will be suspected of hiding the activity from US officials.
The announcement of the new policy comes as data has shown the US is suffering a sharp decline in tourism, including an 11.6% decrease in overseas visitors in March, with the tourism industry expected to lose out on billions of dollars this year due to government actions.
Travel from Canada and Mexico has fallen by 20% year over year, according to the US Travel Association. That group has also warned about the impact of requiring visitors to pay a $250 'visa integrity fee', which was included in Trump's sweeping tax bill last month. That fee, if adopted, would be one of the highest in the world for a country to charge.
There have also been increasing accounts of tourists and visitors with valid visas getting detained by Ice, escalating fears that a trip to the US could carry serious risks.
Reuters contributed reporting
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Report: Trump to meet Putin face-to-face as soon as next week
President Donald Trump is planning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as next week and could bring the Russian leader face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump shared this pitch on a phone call with European leaders Wednesday, The New York Times reported , after his special envoy Steve Witkoff met in-person with Putin at the Kremlin earlier in the day. In recent months, Trump has expressed disgust with Putin's continued bombing campaigns of Ukraine, despite being in contact with the U.S. leader. Trump hinted, however, there had been a breakthrough during Witkoff's meeting. In his social media post, he did not disclose the potential planned meeting with Putin and a possible Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit. 'Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,' Trump said, using his trademark closing, 'Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Zelensky and Witkoff were on Trump's call with European leaders, which included NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also joined. Trump said the meetings would only include himself, Putin and Zelensky, The Times report said, with the European leaders appearing to accept the American leader's plan. The Republican president hasn't met in-person with Putin since November 2018, when they engaged in an informal conversation on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires.
Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
Doordash forecasts strong quarter on resilient delivery demand
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Doordash (DASH.O), opens new tab forecast third-quarter gross merchandise value above Wall Street expectations after topping estimates on Wednesday, betting on robust demand for food and grocery deliveries through its platform. The company's offers and promotions, particularly in its U.S. and international markets for members, has attracted budget-conscious consumers seeking value to its online services. Doordash expects gross merchandise value, a measure of the total dollar value of orders placed through its platform, to be between $24.2 billion and $24.7 billion for the current quarter, above estimates of $23.73 billion, according to estimates compiled by LSEG. Doordash's shares were up 6% in extended trading after the company also topped estimates for second-quarter revenue and gross merchandise value. The company also reiterated its expectations for its purchase of U.K. rival Deliveroo (ROO.L), opens new tab to close in the fourth quarter. Doordash has expanded its online delivery options beyond food to groceries, alcohol, electronics and beauty products, boosting sales while restaurants battled sluggish demand amid economic uncertainty. Gross merchandise value rose 23% to $24.2 billion in the quarter ended June 30, beating estimates of $23.58 billion, with total orders climbing 20% year-over-year. Total revenue of $3.28 billion for the reported three-month period also beat estimates of $3.16 billion. Net revenue margin inched higher to 13.5% from 13.3% a year ago, helped by robust advertising revenue. Rival UberEats' parent Uber (UBER.N), opens new tab also forecast a strong third quarter earlier in the day, banking on robust demand for ride-hailing and deliveries.
The Sun
18 minutes ago
- The Sun
Harry's response to charity row is typically him – blame others and then flounce off instead of trying to fix things
PRINCE Harry has flounced out – yet again. This time, not from the monarchy. Not from a podcast deal. Not from the Army, that many believe he quit too soon. 6 6 6 This time, from Sentebale – the worthy African children's charity he co-founded in memory of his mother, Princess Diana. Once a passion project. Now just another scorched bridge. The exit wasn't quiet or dignified. It followed an ugly row with the chair of trustees, Dr Sophie Chandauka, a punchy Zimbabwean-born lawyer and major donor. Several trustees stepped down, too. What followed was familiar: leaked emails, bullying allegations, duelling statements and headlines Harry tried — and failed — to control. Now comes the Charity Commission's verdict: No laws broken. But the rebuke was clear: governance failures, damaging behaviour and a serious lack of leadership. Harry insists he was forced out. That the chair was impossible to work with. That the environment had turned toxic. What else could he do? Harry always throws toys out of pram - latest charity move is childish But leadership isn't about walking away when the mood turns. In any serious institution — royalty, the boardroom or charity — you don't storm out. You stay in the room. You resolve the problem for the greater good. Instead, Harry bailed. Same old story. And like so many of his recent exits, this one fits the pattern. When pressure mounts and compromise is needed, he withdraws. Rather than engage, Harry flushed red and scarpered back to the luxury of Montecito, and Megs to mop his furrowed brow Robert It's a shame. Because Sentebale mattered. Founded in 2006, it provides long-term support to children in Lesotho and Botswana affected by HIV and poverty. It wasn't a vanity project. It was purposeful — touching the lives of 100,000 youngsters — and at one point, so was Harry. I travelled to Lesotho with him twice. I saw the work up close. Those children in need of help didn't see him as a prince. They saw someone who listened, who cared, somebody who came back. His presence wasn't performative. It was real. His royal rank and media profile opened doors. His conviction helped break stigma of HIV/AIDS, just as his late mother had done right at the outset of the fight. For years, he gave Sentebale visibility and momentum. It was, without question, his most meaningful contribution. But cracks appeared. His decision to quit royal life was costly. In 2023, Dr Chandauka initiated a financial review. She flagged a sharp drop in donations following Harry's withdrawal from royal duties; income fell to £2.39million in 2020, though later rebounded. She reportedly labelled his image a 'reputational risk' and raised questions about whether he was now more liability than asset. Rather than engage, Harry flushed red and scarpered back to the luxury of Montecito, and Megs to mop his furrowed brow. No formal rebuttal. No quiet diplomacy. No attempt to repair. He threw his toys out of the pram. He could have shown resolve, offered solutions, and strengthened the structure. Instead, he vanished. And that's what makes this so frustrating. Harry had no shortage of templates to help lead through turbulence. His grandfather, Prince Philip, oversaw the Duke of Edinburgh's Award for more than six decades — often in silence, always with rigour. His son Edward, the new Duke, is its leader. His father, King Charles, spent years building The Prince's Trust — now the King's Trust — from a niche programme into a national institution. 6 His sister-in-law, Catherine, champions important causes such as early years development with longevity, consistency and focus. His brother, William, leads Earthshot, a well-structured mission with financial backing. None of them walked out mid-crisis. They worked through it. Harry could have done the same. He could have stayed on the board in a non-executive role. Helped recruit new trustees. Brought in independent mediators. Stabilised the organisation rather than adding to the unrest. But that would have required discipline — and a willingness to listen. 'Squandered legacy' Instead, he defaulted to the same script: leave, blame, reposition. And this time, the people most affected weren't palace courtiers or out-of-pocket podcast executives. They were the children of Lesotho — many living with HIV, others orphaned, some still stigmatised. Those were the ones who stood to lose most. The pattern goes back further. His early exit from the Army — ten solid years of exemplary service, but he chose not to be a career soldier and go on, to rise further through the ranks and gain his braided uniforms on merit rather than royal birthright. His abrupt departure from working royal life. His mudslinging. His family ties frayed. Promises to reinvent himself in California have mostly yielded media spats, stalled projects and carefully lit documentaries. What's missing is institutional maturity. And staying power. This isn't about empathy or charisma; Harry has plenty of both. But he's never learned to sit with discomfort, to fix what's failing. Instead, he blames. Then bails. Since relocating to Montecito, his inner circle of advisers has narrowed. 6 He listens to American PR consultants and is guided, above all, by his Duchess, Meghan Markle — who built her brand around control and survival, not compromise or tradition. The problem is that leadership — particularly in the charitable sector — requires grit, continuity and people willing to challenge you, not flatter you. It's not that Dr Chandauka is beyond reproach. Under her tenure, annual accounts remain unpublished, and the next set is delayed until 2025. She may face valid questions. But here's the telling detail: the Commission didn't ask her to go. She stayed. Harry didn't. Now his team says Harry will support African kids 'in new ways.' In practice, that means nothing. His seat at the Sentebale table is empty. His voice, once essential, is absent. It's the institutional equivalent of ghosting. And this wasn't just another cause. This was personal. A living tribute to his mother. One of the few initiatives he helped build from the ground up. He could have pushed for reform. Brought in fresh trustees. Set a better standard. The options were there. What they didn't need was drama. What they couldn't survive was abandonment. This isn't scandal. It's waste. A squandered legacy. A cautionary tale. Another institution left to sweep up the debris of brand-driven burnout. The headlines will fade. The charity may recover. But something has shifted. The Harry I saw in Lesotho back in 2006 –- he had a purpose. A spark. A sense of something larger than himself. Now, all we're left with is another clean break, and another promise unkept. When Harry chose the name Sentebale, it meant forget-me-not — a tribute to Diana and her favourite flowers. It was a promise never to let her memory fade. Well, sadly, it looks like he's done just that. Robert Jobson is a royal editor and the No1 bestselling author of Catherine, The Princess of Wales – The Biography 6
