Spanish
United States.- The United States will require up to US$15,000 from visa applicants from Malawi and Zambia, as part of a pilot plan to reduce overstays by tourists. Dominican citizens will not be affected by this measure.
The State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, reported in a press conference that Malawi and Zambia will be the two countries included in this pilot program, which was published on Monday in the Federal Register, although the affected nations were not specified at the time.You may be interested in: Migration responds to Leonel regarding visas for Haitians
Bruce explained that, starting August 20, citizens of Malawi and Zambia who apply for B1 and B2 visas will have to deposit a bond of up to 15,000 dollars, a measure with which the Donald Trump Administration seeks to avoid "overstaying" in the country. According to data from the U.S. government, 14% of visitors from Malawi and 11% of those from Zambia exceeded their authorized stay during fiscal year 2023. The program estimates that around 2,000 applicants will face the payment of an average bond of $10,000 during the pilot program and that, after demonstrating that they do not remain in the United States, foreigners will obtain a full refund of the bond. The Trump administration estimates that more than 500,000 people overstayed their visas in fiscal year 2023, the most recent data.This bond is added to the cost increase for visas approved in July in the Trump administration's fiscal plan, such as the 'visa integrity fee', of at least $250 for permits for all foreigners entering the country with visas.
The United States issued nearly 11 million non-immigrant visas in 2024, according to figures from the State Department. Trump's law also imposes increases in the value of other applications, because for the first time migrants must not only pay a fee to apply for asylum, set at 100 dollars, but also an additional price of 100 dollars each year that the application is pending resolution.
