The President's Administration Donald Trump added 25 new countries to the list of states whose nationals could be required to pay a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the USA, according to information published Tuesday by the US State Department.
With these additions, the list now includes 38 countries, primarily located in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. The measure will take effect on January 21. Venezuela It is notably among the new countries concerned, just days after the arrest of its ousted leader. Nicolas Maduro, by American forces.
According to the State Department, any citizen traveling with a passport issued by one of the listed countries and applying for a B1/B2 visa (tourism or business) will be required to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The amount will be determined during the visa interview and must be paid through the online payment platform Pay.gov, operated by the U.S. Treasury.
This measure is part of a pilot program launched last August, which Washington presents as a way to discourage visitors from overstaying their visas. Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has tightened his immigration policy, increasing deportations, visa and green card revocations, and scrutinizing the online activity and past statements of immigration applicants.
Human rights organizations have widely criticized these policies, deeming them contrary to due process and freedom of expression. The Trump administration, for its part, maintains that these measures are necessary to strengthen homeland security.
