AsianFin — The U.S. State Department will require certain visa applicants from countries with high overstay rates to post a security bond of up to $15,000 as part of a new 12-month pilot program, according to a pre-publication notice released on Sunday in the Federal Register.

The “Visa Bond Pilot Program,” expected to be officially announced on August 5 and take effect 15 days later, will target applicants for B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas from countries whose nationals have a history of overstaying their visas or where applicant vetting information is deemed insufficient.

The bond amounts will be set at $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, depending on an applicant's perceived risk profile, the State Department said. A final list of countries subject to the bond requirement will be published at a later date.

Applicants who post the bond, receive a visa, and enter the U.S. are required to comply with all visa terms. Failure to do so would result in the forfeiture of the bond, which will be retained by the U.S. federal government, according to the pilot program guidelines.