Latest news with #PilotProgram
CNBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
State Department announces program requiring some foreign visitors to pay bonds of up to $15,000
The State Department is set to launch a new pilot program later this month that will require foreign visitors planning travel to the U.S. from certain countries to post bonds of up to $15,000, according to a temporary final rule published in the Federal Register Tuesday. The program, scheduled to begin Aug. 20 and last until Aug. 5, 2026, will specifically apply to people in certain foreign countries applying for B-1 or B-2 visas for business or tourist travel to the United States. Each of those visas allows for a maximum stay of six months, though some extensions are permitted in certain cases. The Trump administration said the program's purpose is to reduce visa overstays in the U.S. and is a direct response to President Donald Trump's January executive order "Protecting The American People Against Invasion." "The Pilot Program is a tool of diplomacy, intended to encourage foreign governments to take immediate action to reduce the overstay rates of their nationals when traveling to the United States for temporary visits, and to encourage countries to improve screening and vetting and the security of travel and civil documents, including in the granting of citizenship," the rule said. Visa applicants will be required to provide a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 as a condition of it being issued, and the amount will be determined by consular officers based on each person's circumstances. This can include, the administration said, "any information provided by the visa applicant on the visa application or in the visa interview regarding the alien's purpose of travel, current employment, income, skills, and education." These requirements will only apply to countries that the State Department identifies as having records of high visa overstay rates, based on data collected by the Department of Homeland Security. The State Department announced Tuesday that the program will first apply to visa applicants from Malawi and Zambia. The list of countries can be amended throughout the program, according to the rule. The State Department said that these visa holders from Malawi and Zambia will have to arrive and depart from one of three points of entry: Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. It wasn't immediately clear why Malawi and Zambia were chosen for the program, as the latest DHS overstay report from fiscal year 2023 listed Chad, Laos and Haiti as being among the countries that have the highest visa overstay rates. Altogether, an estimated 500,000 people admitted to the U.S. during that period stayed past their visa expiration dates. The State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. "This targeted common-sense measure reinforces the administration's commitment to U.S. immigration law while deterring visa overstays," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters at the press briefing Tuesday. If visa applicants who are required to submit bonds comply with the terms and conditions and don't overstay their visa, for example, they are entitled to full refunds. Those who violate any of the conditions will have to forfeit the bond amount. This comes as the Trump administration has been transforming the federal government's immigration and visa rules for months. Under the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, for example, visitors to the U.S. will need to pay a "visa integrity fee" on top of additional visa fees.
NBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
State Department announces program requiring some foreign visitors to pay bonds of up to $15,000
The State Department is set to launch a new pilot program later this month that will require foreign visitors planning travel to the U.S. from certain countries to post bonds of up to $15,000, according to a temporary final rule published in the Federal Register Tuesday. The program, scheduled to begin Aug. 20 and last until Aug. 5, 2026, will specifically apply to people in certain foreign countries applying for B-1 or B-2 visas for business or tourist travel to the United States. Each of those visas allows for a maximum stay of six months, though some extensions are permitted in certain cases. The Trump administration said the program's purpose is to reduce visa overstays in the U.S. and is a direct response to President Donald Trump's January executive order "Protecting The American People Against Invasion." 'The Pilot Program is a tool of diplomacy, intended to encourage foreign governments to take immediate action to reduce the overstay rates of their nationals when traveling to the United States for temporary visits, and to encourage countries to improve screening and vetting and the security of travel and civil documents, including in the granting of citizenship,' the rule said. Visa applicants will be required to provide a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 as a condition of it being issued, and the amount will be determined by consular officers based on each person's circumstances. This can include, the administration said, "any information provided by the visa applicant on the visa application or in the visa interview regarding the alien's purpose of travel, current employment, income, skills, and education." These requirements will only apply to countries that the State Department identifies as having records of high visa overstay rates, based on data collected by the Department of Homeland Security. The State Department announced Tuesday that the program will first apply to visa applicants from Malawi and Zambia. The list of countries can be amended throughout the program, according to the rule. The State Department said that these visa holders from Malawi and Zambia will have to arrive and depart from one of three points of entry: Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. It wasn't immediately clear why Malawi and Zambia were chosen for the program, as the latest DHS overstay report from fiscal year 2023 listed Chad, Laos and Haiti as being among the countries that have the highest visa overstay rates. Altogether, an estimated 500,000 people admitted to the U.S. during that period stayed past their visa expiration dates. The State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 'This targeted common-sense measure reinforces the administration's commitment to U.S. immigration law while deterring visa overstays,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters at the press briefing Tuesday. If visa applicants who are required to submit bonds comply with the terms and conditions and don't overstay their visa, for example, they are entitled to full refunds. Those who violate any of the conditions will have to forfeit the bond amount. This comes as the Trump administration has been transforming the federal government's immigration and visa rules for months. Under the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, for example, visitors to the U.S. will need to pay a "visa integrity fee" on top of additional visa fees.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Trump Administration to Require Bonds of Up to $15,000 for Travelers to Enter the US
The State Department has in the past been reluctant to employ visa bonds because the 'mechanics of posting, processing and discharging a bond are cumbersome,' according to the program announcement. The new program aims to test that notion 'to inform any future decision concerning the possible use of visa bonds.' Countries with some of the highest visa overstay rates in recent years include Afghanistan, Haiti, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Sudan and Myanmar, according to a Customs and Border Protection report to Congress last year. The requirement wouldn't apply to most European countries as well as South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries whose citizens don't require U.S. visas for temporary visits. The notice doesn't outline which countries would be affected but said the department would announce the covered countries 'no fewer than 15 days before the Pilot Program takes effect.' The steep price of the bond could make entering the U.S. prohibitive for some would-be foreign travelers. The program is a 'key pillar of the Trump Administration's foreign policy to protect the United States from the clear national security threat posed by visa overstays and deficient screening and vetting,' the notice said. The bond amount of between $5,000 and $15,000 would be determined by a State Department consular officer reviewing a visa application, unless the requirement is waived, according to the announcement in the Federal Register. Applicants for business and tourist visas from countries with high overstay rates would provide the funds to the U.S. Treasury and get them back if they exited before their visas expired, according to a notice published Monday outlining the yearlong pilot program. The State Department may require travelers entering the U.S. from certain countries to post a bond of up to $15,000, a move aimed at deterring foreigners from overstaying their visas. PREMIUM The steep price of the bond could make entering the U.S. prohibitive for some. The State Department may require travelers entering the U.S. from certain countries to post a bond of up to $15,000, a move aimed at deterring foreigners from overstaying their visas. PREMIUM The steep price of the bond could make entering the U.S. prohibitive for some. Applicants for business and tourist visas from countries with high overstay rates would provide the funds to the U.S. Treasury and get them back if they exited before their visas expired, according to a notice published Monday outlining the yearlong pilot program. The bond amount of between $5,000 and $15,000 would be determined by a State Department consular officer reviewing a visa application, unless the requirement is waived, according to the announcement in the Federal Register. The program is a 'key pillar of the Trump Administration's foreign policy to protect the United States from the clear national security threat posed by visa overstays and deficient screening and vetting,' the notice said. The steep price of the bond could make entering the U.S. prohibitive for some would-be foreign travelers. The notice doesn't outline which countries would be affected but said the department would announce the covered countries 'no fewer than 15 days before the Pilot Program takes effect.' The requirement wouldn't apply to most European countries as well as South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries whose citizens don't require U.S. visas for temporary visits. A State Department spokesperson didn't respond to a request for comment on the program. Countries with some of the highest visa overstay rates in recent years include Afghanistan, Haiti, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Sudan and Myanmar, according to a Customs and Border Protection report to Congress last year. {{^usCountry}} The State Department has in the past been reluctant to employ visa bonds because the 'mechanics of posting, processing and discharging a bond are cumbersome,' according to the program announcement. The new program aims to test that notion 'to inform any future decision concerning the possible use of visa bonds.' {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} The State Department has in the past been reluctant to employ visa bonds because the 'mechanics of posting, processing and discharging a bond are cumbersome,' according to the program announcement. The new program aims to test that notion 'to inform any future decision concerning the possible use of visa bonds.' {{/usCountry}} {{^usCountry}} Write to Robbie Gramer at {{/usCountry}}
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Trump administration to require bonds of up to $15,000 for travellers to enter the US
The steep price of the bond could make entering the U.S. prohibitive for some. The State Department may require travelers entering the U.S. from certain countries to post a bond of up to $15,000, a move aimed at deterring foreigners from overstaying their visas. Applicants for business and tourist visas from countries with high overstay rates would provide the funds to the U.S. Treasury and get them back if they exited before their visas expired, according to a notice published Monday outlining the yearlong pilot program. The bond amount of between $5,000 and $15,000 would be determined by a State Department consular officer reviewing a visa application, unless the requirement is waived, according to the announcement in the Federal Register. The program is a 'key pillar of the Trump Administration's foreign policy to protect the United States from the clear national security threat posed by visa overstays and deficient screening and vetting," the notice said. The steep price of the bond could make entering the U.S. prohibitive for some would-be foreign travelers. The notice doesn't outline which countries would be affected but said the department would announce the covered countries 'no fewer than 15 days before the Pilot Program takes effect." The requirement wouldn't apply to most European countries as well as South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries whose citizens don't require U.S. visas for temporary visits. A State Department spokesperson didn't respond to a request for comment on the program. Countries with some of the highest visa overstay rates in recent years include Afghanistan, Haiti, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Sudan and Myanmar, according to a Customs and Border Protection report to Congress last year. The State Department has in the past been reluctant to employ visa bonds because the 'mechanics of posting, processing and discharging a bond are cumbersome," according to the program announcement. The new program aims to test that notion 'to inform any future decision concerning the possible use of visa bonds." Write to Robbie Gramer at
The Hindu
28-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Why antitrust regulations are pertinent
While arguing for the Sherman Act, Senator John Sherman said in 1890, 'If we will not endure a king as a political power, we should not endure a king over the production, transportation, and sale of any of the necessaries of life.' The law would eventually mark the beginning of antitrust regulation in the United States, while also laying the groundwork for similar statutes preserving market competition worldwide, including in India. Sherman's idea of what constitutes a 'necessity of life' has evolved since then. Technology is reshaping societies and markets — it now shapes the production, transportation, and sale of most goods and services, leading to the rise of what we now term the global 'digital economy'. India is a significant player, with its domestic digital economy contributing 11.74% to its GDP (2022-23). This success has partially been driven by technology start-ups, which rose from just 2,000 in 2014 to over 31,000 in 2023. The government recognises their potential and leans on them to build a $35 trillion 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. Yet Sherman's concern about a few players dominating economies still applies. In Digital India, the kings are located in foreign waters, dictating selective terms to home-grown start-ups building the country's digital future. As a result, the ability of Indian start-ups to scale is often stunted. While these global firms connect societies, they also wield immense monopolistic power. A recent case by a leading Indian online gaming company against Google, filed with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), highlights the risks posed by such dominance. On start-ups and monopolies Discriminatory practices by gatekeepers in the digital economy harm India's economy, business environment, and consumers. Google, for example, dominates distribution and discovery of digital services. With Android holding about 95% of the of the mobile operating system market share in India, it is nearly impossible for consumers to discover new online businesses without the latter hawking their services on Google's superior search engine, app store, or online advertising ecosystem. This dominance has led to discriminatory outcomes for Indian start-ups. For example, high commissions levied by Google on transactions taking place within its payments ecosystem have dampened the revenues of start-ups using these services. These issues have led domestic antitrust regulators to crack down on the tech giant, preventing Google from restricting app developers from using third-party payment systems or from communicating with their users to promote their apps. The gaming start-up's CCI filing is an addition to this long list of concerns with Google's anticompetitive behaviour in India. In its complaint, the gaming industry leader alleged that Google abused its dominant position via a discriminatory Real Money Gaming (RMG) Pilot Program operated through the Play Store, and restrictive advertising policies. Google's Pilot Program, launched in September 2022, selectively permitted two specific formats of RMG on the Play Store — Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and rummy — limiting market access for other formats of RMG, such as the casual games offered by the gaming company. While Google discontinued similar pilots in Mexico and Brazil in June 2024, its Indian iteration continues to date, offering DFS and rummy operators relatively unfettered access. For example, the complaint notes that a DFS operator with 90% of the market share acquired 150 million users over 16 years, but upon joining the Pilot, it added another 55 million users in just one year. Google similarly amended its advertising policies following the launch of the Pilot, limiting gaming advertisements to DFS and rummy operators, which earlier allowed advertisements by all games of skill. Before these amendments, the online gaming leader claimed that 68.21% of its app downloads were derived from Google's ad program. Now, they have stopped — a deep cut for an Indian start-up with proven global credibility and scale. CCI, the forward-looking and progressive digital regulator, has began an investigation into these concerns. Costs to India Such market distortions carry serious economic consequences, compromising India's ability to reach its digital economy ambitions. Most importantly, lack of competition leads to 'reductions in quality and consumer choice[s]', and excessive reliance on few powerful players. Net-net, everyone loses, except the gatekeepers. India cannot afford such a loss in innovation — and nor can its people, who will ultimately benefit from competitive growth, driven by ambitious start-ups. Sherman's homeland offers some insight into what the future holds for markets where the antitrust issue is not addressed head-on. Antitrust scholars suggest that rising monopolisation across American industries has increased the cost of doing business for growing businesses, leading to a dramatic decrease in Initial Public Offerings. The economic consequences of such lopsided markets are too severe for India to bear. Ultimately, global tech giants play a critical role in powering these new-age businesses. What the future requires is recognition from Indian adjudicators that avenues for distribution and monetisation must be democratised, without gatekeeping, for domestic start-ups to thrive. The gaming industry leader's case carries on Sherman's legacy — it is one step towards a fairer field for everyone. Alwyn Didar Singh, Former Secretary to the Government of India and former Secretary General, FICCI
