In addition to the existing 38 countries, 12 new ones will be added: Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia. The State Department emphasizes that African countries dominate among the participating countries, and the list may be expanded based on assessments of migration risks.
According to U.S. officials, this program has already demonstrated its effectiveness: about 97% of foreigners who received visas with a bond condition returned to their countries within the specified time. The department also claims that this measure saves hundreds of millions of dollars by reducing costs associated with the deportation of visa violators.
The introduction of the visa bond has become part of a stricter immigration policy implemented by the Donald Trump administration. As noted by Reuters, U.S. authorities had previously tightened entry restrictions for citizens of several countries and took measures against violations of visa regulations.
