WASHINGTON. Want a US visa? Bring your chequebook.
The Trump administration is rolling out a pilot program requiring some prospective immigrants to post a bond of up to $250,000 before they can set foot in America — a hardline new twist on the public charge rule designed to make sure newcomers can pay their own way.
Consular officers in Santo Domingo started showing the bond option to select applicants this week, targeting specific immigrant visa applicants from the Dominican Republic who had already been knocked back on public charge grounds. Officials have hinted the strategy could later be exported to other countries.
“Immigrating to the United States is a privilege, not a right,” the State Department declared in a statement that read like a warning shot to anyone hoping to live off the US taxpayer. “Those who wish to obtain a U.S. immigrant visa must be capable of demonstrating that they will be a benefit—rather than a burden—to our nation.”
The program is being run jointly by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. Bond amounts are set case by case, with officers weighing each applicant's circumstances rather than applying a single fixed figure. Some cases reviewed this week have landed in the $100,000 to $250,000 range. The regulatory minimum remains $1,000, and there is no upper ceiling in the statute. Applicants cannot start the bond process themselves — it is offered at the consular officer's discretion.
Under longstanding authority in the Immigration and Nationality Act, consular officers may invite applicants deemed likely to become a public charge — meaning they are expected to rely primarily on government assistance — to post a bond with US Citizenship and Immigration Services. If the bond is approved and the applicant otherwise qualifies, the officer can issue a visa that had previously been rejected under the public charge provision.
The bond stays in place until USCIS determines it can be cancelled, which can happen after five years of lawful permanent residence, provided the individual has not received public cash assistance for income or long-term institutional care at public expense. Breach the terms and the money is forfeited.
The Dominican Republic was picked for the initial phase because of the sheer volume of immigrant visa processing handled by the US Embassy in Santo Domingo.
The move builds on another visa bond program made permanent earlier this week, which affects tourists and business travellers from 50 countries and requires payments of up to $20,000 to secure temporary B visas.
In July, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the department was working “to introduce commonsense and effective procedures to enforce U.S. laws, restore the integrity of our immigration system, and protect American public benefits programs from the financial burden of foreigners who arrive with major, expensive medical or other needs.”
He said the department was exploring the use of longstanding Immigration and Nationality Act authority “to require certain visa applicants—those who are otherwise ineligible for a visa because they are likely to become a public charge—to post a bond as a way to demonstrate they have access to the funds needed to support themselves.”
The message from Washington is unmistakable: the welcome mat is still out, but only for those who can prove they will not cost the American taxpayer a cent.
