Trump’s $20,000 US visa bond rule may expand beyond 50 countries; travel industry warns it could hurt tourism, economy
Under the programme, consular officers can require certain tourist and business visa applicants from 50 designated countries to post refundable bonds of up to $20,000. (Photo: Getty Images via AFP)The US travel industry has raised concerns that the Trump administration could expand its visa bond programme to more countries, warning that such a move could discourage international visitors and hurt the American economy.The US Travel Association said expanding the programme beyond the 50 countries currently covered could have a significant impact on tourism and travel-related businesses.“There are already rumblings of expanding this program to additional countries where visas are required, perhaps all countries where visas are required,” US Travel Association President Geoff Freeman told Reuters.“That would have an extraordinarily detrimental effect on the US economy, on the travel industry,” he said.Visa bond programme made permanentThe US Department of State this month made permanent a visa bond programme that was initially introduced as a pilot in August 2025.Under the programme, consular officers can require certain tourist and business visa applicants from 50 designated countries to post refundable bonds of up to $20,000.The bond can be forfeited if a traveller overstays their authorised period or violates other conditions of their immigration status.The administration says the programme is designed to address visa overstays and concerns related to information-sharing, security vetting and document systems in countries with higher rates of visa violations.The State Department has also said additional countries can be added to the programme with 15 days' notice.Visa issuances plunge 83%The Trump administration said visa issuances to applicants from the countries covered by the pilot programme fell 83% during its first 10 months.At the same time, visa overstays from those countries reportedly dropped sharply — from 45,488 in fiscal 2024 to fewer than 50 during the pilot period, according to the administration.The countries currently covered are predominantly in Africa, with others located in Asia, the Caribbean, Central Asia and Latin America.However, the travel industry argues that the programme could discourage legitimate travellers along with those deemed at higher risk of overstaying.Travel to US already under pressureFreeman said the countries currently covered account for less than 2% of visitors to the United States, meaning the programme's direct impact is currently limited.But he warned that the broader US travel industry is already experiencing a decline in international arrivals.Travel from Canada has fallen 25%, while travel from Asia is reportedly at around 50% of 2019 levels, Freeman said.Preliminary data from the National Travel and Tourism Office showed that total overseas travel to the US was down 4.3% year-to-date through June. International travel also fell 1.8% in June, despite the FIFA World Cup being held during the period.Industry questions travel policyThe travel industry had hoped the World Cup would provide a major boost to international tourism and encourage policymakers to introduce measures that would make visiting the US easier.Freeman said the weaker-than-expected visitor numbers during the tournament should instead serve as a warning against policies that could further discourage international travel.“If we can't have year-over-year increases in travelers during the World Cup, which we didn't, what the heck are we going to do in an average September?” Freeman said.The US Travel Association's concerns come as the administration seeks to tighten immigration controls while the tourism industry tries to attract more international visitors. An expansion of the visa bond programme could become another obstacle for travellers and further weigh on international tourism to th
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