The US State Department will require tourists and business travelers from certain countries to post a high financial guarantee as proof that they will not overstay their visas. This is the latest government initiative to tighten conditions for foreign visitors.
The State Department announced a 12-month pilot program. Under it, people from certain countries may be required to pay a deposit of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 when applying for a visa. This is stated in a draft notice to be published today in the Federal Register.
Which countries will be covered
The pilot program is aimed at “aliens applying for temporary visas for business or tourism purposes (B-1/B-2)” from countries with “high visa overstay rates where vetting and security information is deemed inadequate.”
The notice does not specify the affected countries and tourists. Nor does it clarify how tourists could get their deposit back after their stay.
The program will also cover countries that offer citizenship through investment programs without residency requirements. This is a milder approach used by some investment immigration programs in Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
“The scope of the visa deposit pilot program appears limited, with an estimated 2,000 affected applicants. Likely from only a few countries that have relatively low travel volume to the U.S.” That was stated by Erik Hansen, Vice President for Government Relations at the US Travel Association (USTA).
A fee of 250 dollars
Last month, Congress announced the introduction of a $250 visa validity verification fee for most US non-immigrant visas, including tourist visas, starting in 2026.
A recent study by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which analyzed the economic impact of tourism in 184 countries, showed that the US is the only country projected to see a drop in international tourist spending in 2025. This is partly due to a series of initiatives by the Trump administration that make it more difficult or expensive for foreign travelers to enter the US.
“The most concerning is the $250 visa verification fee recently passed by Congress. It will apply to all non-immigrant visa categories and all applicants,” Hansen said. He pointed out that this fee will mean that “the US will have one of the highest, if not the highest, visa costs in the world.”
For the US to remain competitive in the global tourism market, “it is crucial that US visa policy reflects both national security priorities and the significant economic value of international tourism,” Hansen added.
World Cup in trouble
International tourists spent $254 billion on travel and tourism-related products and services in the US in 2024. This is according to data from the International Trade Administration.
The question is whether another financial barrier for tourists will affect attendance at the 2026 World Cup. In March, FIFA estimated that the championship would generate $30.5 billion in economic impact in the US, according to an analysis by OpenEconomics (OE). However, that estimate is based on the assumption that the US will experience an “influx of visitors” from abroad who will fill stadiums and hotels. FIFA has issued a recommendation to host cities to expect an audience split of 50/50 between domestic and international guests, tourism officials from several cities told Forbes.
“Raising fees on legitimate international visitors is a self-imposed tariff on one of our greatest ‘exports’: spending by foreign tourists,” said Jeff Freeman, president of the US Travel Association, last month when the decision to introduce the visa verification fee was announced.
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Source: Forbes; Photo: Pexels