The United States is launching a aviator programme that could necessitate immoderate inbound travelers to wage bonds of up to $15,000 to enter.
The 12-month programme is aimed, successful part, astatine visitors from countries with historically precocious visa overstay rates, according to an unpublished impermanent last rule posted successful the Federal Register connected Tuesday.
It's the latest determination by the Trump medication to tighten migration laws successful the U.S., pursuing a travel prohibition connected nationals from 12 countries successful June and a $250 "visa integrity fee" announcement successful July.
Here's what we cognize astir the enslaved program, based connected the Federal Register notice:
Who volition person to pay?
The programme applies to leisure and concern travelers who request B-1 oregon B-2 visas to participate the U.S., and who are coming from countries:
- that person precocious visa overstay rates,
- where screening and vetting accusation is deemed insufficient, or
- that connection Citizenship by Investment without a residency requirement.
Which countries are these?
The U.S. Department of State is acceptable to denote the database of countries arsenic aboriginal arsenic today.
Overstay rates volition beryllium based connected the Department of Homeland Security's 2023 Entry/Exit Overstay Report. This report, published connected Aug. 5, 2024, shows countries with precocious overstay rates see Chad (50%), Laos (35%) and Haiti (31%).
However, countries with the astir full overstays, by number, are Mexico (approximately 49,000), Brazil (21,000), Colombia (41,000), Haiti (27,000), Venezuela (22,000) and Dominican Republic (20,000).
How galore radical volition person to pay?
Not many.
The Department of State said it expects astir 2,000 radical volition station visa bonds during the aviator program, fixed the fig of radical who are qualified to get U.S. visas and "uncertainty" surrounding the fig of radical who tin wage it.
How overmuch are the bonds?
There are 3 levels of bonds: $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000.
Bond amounts are astatine the discretion of consular officers, taxable to guidelines. The amounts volition beryllium based connected travelers' "personal circumstances," including their crushed for traveling, employment, income, skills and education.
Travelers who are required to wage a visa enslaved indispensable participate and depart the U.S. done circumstantial ports of entry, which volition beryllium announced astatine a aboriginal date.
Why a aviator programme alternatively of a broad rule?
The intent of the 12-month aviator is astatine slightest two-fold, according to the U.S. State Department.
It is chiefly aimed astatine accessing the feasibility of processing and discharging bonds, which the authorities has antecedently deemed to beryllium "cumbersome." But it volition besides assistance ascertain whether bonds compel visitors to comply with their visa terms.
The government's notice, however, besides states that the aviator programme is simply a "tool of diplomacy" intended to spur overseas governments to trim overstay rates of their nationals and amended their question screening and vetting processes.
Notably, the pilot programme provides much details than the broad $250 "visa integrity fee" announced successful July, including erstwhile it volition start, however it volition beryllium implemented, and processes to station and refund bonds amounts.
How galore U.S. visitors overstay their visa terms?
Only 1%-2% of nonimmigrant visitors overstayed their visas each year from 2016 to 2022, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.
However, 42% of the estimated 11 cardinal radical who unrecorded successful the U.S. without authorization entered connected valid visas, but past ne'er left, information shows.
In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security estimated that much than 320,000 radical overstayed their visas, though this includes travelers who yet near the country, according to the State Department's visa enslaved notice.
— CNBC's Kaela Ling contributed to this story.
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