Coming to the United States is about to become far more complicated and expensive for some travelers. Under a new pilot program, not only will certain visitors be required to post a bond of up to $15,000, they’ll also be limited to entering and exiting the U.S. only via designated airports.
New U.S. Visa Bond Program Requires Travelers To Use Only Specific Airports
Beginning August 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State will launch a visa bond pilot program targeting nationals from countries with high visa overstay rates. Those applying for a B‑1/B‑2 tourist or business visa may be required to post a refundable bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. To further complicate matters, a clause in the Federal Register notice notes these travelers will be restricted to flying into and out of only a select number of U.S. airports.
The official list of countries has yet to be announced.
Only Select Airports Will Be Allowed
The Federal Register notice notes:
Compliance with the bond will require arrival into and departure from the United States by air from one of the airports pre-selected for use during this pilot program, based on their capacity to automatically confirm that the alien has departed the United States in accordance with the bond’s conditions. The selected airports will be announced on www.travel.state.gov 15 days ahead of bonds being implemented and may be modified on a rolling basis.
The purpose is to closely monitor compliance. The logic is that travelers posting large bonds and facing restricted access are more likely to be tracked and, if necessary, apprehended before violating their visa terms.
But civil rights and travel advocacy groups say the move reeks of profiling and will deter legitimate tourism, education, and business travel. It’s also likely to complicate operations for airlines, who now must verify eligibility based on not just visas, but airport restrictions.
Another New Fee: The $250 “Integrity” Charge
In a separate but parallel development, the U.S. is also preparing to implement a new $250 Visa Integrity Fee for all nonimmigrant visa categories. That includes tourists, students, temporary workers, and exchange visitors. This fee will be required in addition to the visa bond (if applicable) and standard application fees.
The Visa Integrity Fee is set to begin on October 1, 2025.
CONCLUSION
We are on the cusp of a massive shift in how U.S. visas are handled. For travelers from targeted countries, the costs of visiting the U.S. will serve as a stonrg detrent to travel. The requirement to only use specific airports adds yet another layer of surveillance and inconvenience for foreign visitors. While these measures are billed as temporary pilots, the infrastructure being put in place suggests they’re designed to outlast the Trump administration.
image: DHS
I can’t wait to deal with increased fees and shorter visa durations when I apply for visas to other countries. Our visa program is already incredibly racist and makes it incredibly hard on people who come from developing countries regardless of how much money they have or where they grew up or were educated.
Obama’s changes allowing longer visas for visitors resulted in Americans getting longer visas elsewhere, China as one example. I’d rather not go back to the days of needing multiple visas to enter a country more than once a year.
The purpose is Not to inconvenience you , when applying for undeveloped disease-riddled-country visas . You are free to apply for as many undeveloped disease-riddled-country visas as you desire .
The purpose is to Stop the people from questionable countries coming to the US . That is how it ought to be .
The very Last thing the people of Hawaii want are hippy backpackers who will sleep and foul the beaches with their rap music and marijuana . Cheers to the CBP at HNL for protecting the Hawaii beaches .
If the questionable visitors are coming from east Asia , restrict them to coming in only to Baltimore . If the questionable visitors are coming from west Africa , restrict them to coming in only to Alaska . That will winnow the mob down to a manageable size .
I have hosted and sponsored a talented athlete. He has entered his seventh year. Paying taxes , paying for his undergraduate degree, his medical services and receiving nothing because he wishes to be accepted as an all American one day. He and his family are lovely people but not snow white. He has a team of agents, attorneys and friendly support that you will never understand trying to protect him from ignorant trolls like yourself. I fear these high fees will cost him ( and others ) family visits that they deserve.
With the current administration we are all losing a generation of people that could be your heart surgeon, professor , best chef and anything else useful imaginable.
If it keeps my ‘sister in-laws’ from coming to visit, I’m 100% for it.
They can keep their grubby hands off my stuff. One of them is coming the week after next. I’m already putting stuff away, and hiding the keys to the liquor cabinet.
Good for you Walter relying on a government regulation to resolve your family squabble!,
The second to last thing the people of Hawaii want are fat mainlanders such as yourself invading and filling up their sewage systems after your 10th loco moco
Foul the beaches with marijuana?! You’re funny. There are countless songs about pakalolo on beaches in Hawaii. It’s kind of a thing.
On some forums, there were quite a few Americans mad about the UK’s ETA and the EU’s ETIAS… even though the US has required ESTA for many years. (And ESTA is the only one of those three that asks for social media details.)
Good news is that under new TSA screening rules, these visitors will not have to remove the ankle monitors they’ll be assigned when passing through airport security.
Stop giving them ideas.
In the past, when US has imposed entry restrictions on some countries they have responded with reciprocal hoops for US citizens to jump through. While I expect the countries on the list will not be tourist hotspots, it is not impossible that this will have side effects.
Might not worry that it gets harder to visit Khartoum, but maybe I want to go to Rio.
We already see Lula tightening the screws in this odd proxy war over Bolsonaro and I think the US-Brazil visa situation is going to get much worse.
The only thing Lula is doing is respecting the Brazilian judiciary, which is completely independent of the Executive Branch.
The judge prosecuting the corrupt Bolsonaro was not appointed by Lula or any of his party members.
The thing is, in the US, nothing happens to an idiot who attempts a coup d’état…
But in Brazil, there’s an independent judiciary. Criminals belong to jail.
… tudo bem ! ,,
BBC is already reporting 2 countries on the list, Malawi and Zambia.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9415d53xko
I’ll bet you were excited typing BBC ass mucher
I’ll bwt you were so excited to see my name you creamed in your pants.
Yet another example of Trumpublican accusation being a confession.
Anyone complaining about proposed changes to US visa programs probably hasn’t been on the side of needing to get a visa to the US. I have been in that situation many times and all I can say it was always a total nightmare. US consulates and embassies were the place to fear and avoid. The agents treated people badly in a way of been extremely rude, putting huge pressure on people applying for visas with hard to answer questions and denying visas at lightning speeds for absolutely no clear reason. You could never predict if you would get approved or not. It was kind of a lottery and if the agent had a good night of sleep you would get an approval but otherwise you would get denied and asked to leave. I personally have family members that had visas approved for many years and all of the sudden they got denied. Absolutely nothing have changed in their lives but someone in the embassy thought they should to back to the US after being there dozens of times. And I am talking 30 to 40 years of experience so nothing related to a specific president or party but overall trying to get a visa to visit the US has always been a nightmare.
I’m confused, how do these changes improve that situation exactly?
Yeah not really sure what his comments added to the discussion, other than another word salad making it all about him as usual.
They don’t. All I am saying is that dealing with a US embassy or consulate to get a visa had been a terrible experience for the last 40 years in my case. Thus, there is nothing new here. These changes are not making it better or worse. It will be the same nightmare as it has always been.
Hello Santastico. It’s a pleasure to agree with you sometimes.
The way US Consulates and Embassies treat people is humiliating.
I’ve seen, for example, the entire Brazilian Karate team denied visas, and they couldn’t compete in a Pan American Tournament in Puerto Rico. I’ve seen a child who won a contest to visit Disney World, all expenses paid, have his visa denied.
A couple of weeks ago, a Chilean friend, who has traveled to the US multiple times, had her Visa Waiver canceled during the flight between Santiago and New York. She was kicked off the flight during the stopover in Lima, losing her airfare and hotel reservations.
Another Chilean friend, with Disney tickets and hotel reservations for his entire family, also had his Visa Waiver canceled a month ago, with absolutely no justification, and could not travel. He lost all his money.
Today, a foreign tourist planning a trip to the US must be either an idiot or naive. The risk is too much!
“Today, a foreign tourist planning a trip to the US must be either an idiot or naive. The risk is too much!”
That’s where I disagree with your comment. It is not about “today”. Maybe today we have social media, we have internet so news are easier to come out but it has always been that way at least for the last 40 years that I know. Nobody was ever guaranteed an entry in the US even having a visa and I know several people that faced the same things you described on your post. Not today, but for a very long time.
You’re right, Santastico, that regardless of the President, the US treatment of foreigners who need a VISA has always been humiliating.
But what’s happening now is that Visa Waivers (ESTA) for Europeans and Chileans are being revoked without any justification, with a significant financial loss for these tourists. This had never happened before the current “administration.”
Bottom line is we don’t want or need foreigners. We have enough human garbage to deal with on both sides of the aisle.
Plenty of Trump voters are redneck junkies and of course the Dems have way too many freaks, f#gs and purple haired losers without jobs.
No need to bring in more from 3rd world sh#tholes looking to get out of their personal hells.
Shut the borders down!
That happens and will not change until there is 100% reciprocity. It should start with mutual method of visa issuance, only through embassy and fisical visas up to one year. No online and with hefty fee. Any US citizen wants to fly to other city to get a single entry visa after being quequed a one year? There is no benefit to let US or Canadian tourists visit Brazil at all, even more without a visa.
Other issue is that too many Brazilian citizens staying illegally in US, either overstaying with visa or coming through Mexico and not through border checkpoints. The decent citizens will suffer. Deportation flights keep flying and they are costly to US.
The real harm to Brazil would be when EU decides to require a fisical visa from Brazilian citizens. Considering how many Brazilian rapist football players that are convicted escape to Brazil to avoid sentence, I would not wonder if that happens rather soon.
P.S That is why I am always against the Brazilian football national team and every club. I call them “The rapist team” and “Pedophile supporters clubs”.
I have got US visa only twice in my life. Very easy, fast and smooth. The only interview was first time, went fast and got one year visa. Then got 10-years B1/B2 visa and during that period ESTA came. White first world 🙂
I call my entrance to US at the CBP officer counter ” Gone in a 60 seconds”. That is how it has always been,
Last time I was there a few months ago, no plans to return but depends of the reason and mood.
Vasya, I don’t agree with 100% reciprocity; it’s ridiculous. Of course, an American isn’t going to try to become an illegal immigrant in Brazil.
I find Brazil’s current policy of applying for visas online for American, Canadian, and Australian citizens to be very good. The E-Visa is ready in hours and cost half of what an American visa costs, with the same duration.
Without having to travel to a city where there is an Embassy or Consulate…
PD: Regarding the rapist players, it’s absurd. There have only been two cases in recent years, Robinho and Dani Alves.
It all started with Cuca+3 other players. Convicted rapist and pedophiles(14 years old victim).
You can count by yourself, how many and what clubs hired him after the sentence and being fugitive, That what is made those club owners with silent supportes as “rapist-pedophile” supporters, nothing absurd,
Still continued to lie at the Corinthians press conference with a club manager.
How many friends was convicted with Robinho? All Brazilians or not? Santos hired him, but cancelled the contract not because of the fans protest, which were not in the case but only because of the sponsors protest. Money talks not the club supporters.
Why Nike cancelled the contract with Neymar?
Dani Alves paid to victiom nearly 200k euros before the court, as settlement. Who gave the loan? Neymar. Money talks!
Fortunately in Brazil one ex- basketball player have only issues with claustrophobia, but this can be avoid by not using the elevator and only stairs kkk
To add:
There are ZERO Brazilian football players who publicly condemned all aforementioned players. ZERO!!! Female players included.
The best that they can do, is repeat like parrots ” Black lives matters” and ” Racism”, and the main screamer looks like a parrot with his haircut.
Why should Brazilians wait almost or more than a year to get just interviewed?
If I remember correctly, a few years ago on Porto Alegre the waiting time was more than a year, even for a visa renewal.
I agree that the new system for US and Canadians is simple, still they whining about bank deposit statement. Probably, because most of them live from the credit card debt and nothing to show at account rsrs
While the Brazilian Visa process is quick, it takes days not hours ime.
I will never support Lula Ladrão and the Vishinsky of the south Xandro. Tourism has dropped off significantly in SP, RJ and PR. Then again who needs tourism anyway? The PT is a nightmare.
They should just call this what it is: a s#!thole country tax, meant for people with dark pigmentation and/or different religious beliefs. Nice to see the bigotry and racism of the 1800’s has made a big comeback.
Per Matthew’s post:
“Beginning August 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State will launch a visa bond pilot program targeting nationals from countries with high visa overstay rates.”
“The official list of countries has yet to be announced.”
Maybe you have some insider information that led you to your comment above. Maybe if people did follow the rules and left the country when they were supposed to, this new rule would not be needed. I personally never overstayed my visa rules when coming to the US. I probably had over 15 US visas in my lifetime, never got denied. And I happen to be Latino with a darker pigmentation.
Care to take bets? I’m going to go with Latin American countries, lots of Africa, and plenty of south/southeast Asia. Basically countries with darker skin color and/or religion.
White countries tend to be richer and become visa waiver countries. Citizens of rich countries tend to have low overstay rates.
I believe the State Department yesterday also announced that the pilot is limited to Malawi and Zambia.
There are a lot of obvious reasons to shake your head at this — can you imagine a company in Zambia tying up $100,000+ in visa bonds to send a handful of employees to a conference or a business meeting? Is that even an expense a company would take on?
But what should worry those of us in this hobby — visa restrictions are very often reciprocal, almost as a matter of pride. And there are something like 79 countries around the world that currently have visa requirements for US citizens.
All for this. . The problem is many people overstay from countries that don’t need visas. Of course, too much legal immigration is also a problem.
Yes . Restrict everyone t come in only through Alaska or Baltimore .
Great because we will happily dump all the tuberculosis cases to Hawaii because you are are already the second most diseased state. And you did so well with leprosy too.
Do you have any knowledge on how/when leprosy arrived in Hawaii? Look it up, dude. Google the quotes & you’ll find the source & HEY, you might get smarter!
“The first white Americans to settle in the Islands arrived in the 1820s intent on Christianizing aboriginal Hawaiians…” “When or how leprosy came to Hawai`i is unknown, but it appears in records as early as the 1830s. Hawaiians, having no immunities to introduced diseases, were particularly vulnerable to infection.”
Asians & Europeans brought leprosy to Hawaiians, whose immune systems couldn’t fight the disease.
At least TRY to educate your silly self before insulting others. You can do it!
Most illegals in the US are visa overstays. These steps wouldn’t be necessary if aliens from third world countries weren’t gaming and cheating the system. We need more restrictions and more hurdles – not fewer.
The United States has become a disgrace. We have the most racist and corrupt government in the last 100 years.
Amen!
Much better to stay away from Trumpton altogether. It’s now the land of the paranoid and who in their right mind would want to visit?
The world will get by very nicely without the US but will the US get by without the world? It’s a question you shoudl be asking yourselves and to the intelligent, the answer is obvious.
On this we agree. Even if you are white trash, which 99.9% of non Americans are, we don’t want or need you.
But you also need to stop begging us for money and protection. Let the falafel eating trash you let take over your country foot the bills.
Do make sure you keep taking your tablets, you’re totally obnoxious when you stop.
But please remember, you’re descended from settlers and living on land you stole rather than own by right. That’s the sort of thing trash does – a bit like your mates who settle on the West Bank claiming it’s theirs.
Stolen? I believe conquered is the word you are looking for. Like all the land around the world which has been conquered and re-conquered since before records were even kept. This includes the land in North America, where indigenous people conquered each other until European settlers conquered them all. It’s not like the Europeans were playing by different rules than anybody else.
You did not get an intelligent answer to your post.
People who visit the U.S. for legitimate tourism, education, and business travel don’t overstay their visas.
The US visa system has been broken for decades. Can’t blame the current administration for that. The crackdown on illegal immigration is just pointing out that fact. I don’t know if this is the way to do it, and I don’t think this is the final word on it, but it would be a good time now to fix the legal immigration system.
This is basically Trump and his ridiculous administration saying only white people can come to the US from first and second world countries… The rest of you… Screw you.
This point of view, but it is reality. The American people meet to realize that this current administration is shutting tourism, business opportunities, and international educational programs in the US. The sad part is a lot of of these countries are going to offer reciprocal restrictions on US travel travelers.. luckily we have an opportunity to change this in 3 1/2 years.
I find typographical errors and the writer’s inability inability to use spell check a “stonrg detrent” to reading this article.
Pick your poison. At least I don’t use AI to generate my stories.
Glass. House. Stones.
Pot. Kettle. Black.
Please charge Double to the Indians! there are too many that are abusing the system. most of them are not used to Toilets, they use Out Houses in most of the smaller cities. when they come to USA, most sit with their Feet on the Toilet seats and that is when most of the poop goes everywhere besided the Toilet.
Figures published in 2023 by the US Department of Homeland Security show that about 14% of visitors from Malawi overstay their visas, compared to 11% of Zambian visitors.
Other countries with high overstay rates include Haiti (31%), Myanmar (27%) and Yemen (20%).
How about Americans stay in America.
Leave the rest of the world to ourselves.
Deal?
Matthew, can you hire an Intern to screen comments at this site?
Start w/deleting the blatantly racist/sexist stuff, then thin out the bizarre trolling & insults–the stuff that even 4th graders wouldn’t say.
You’ll have fewer comments for a while, but will likely expand intelligent dialogue & comments–& increase readership.
Cheers.