New Travel Sticker Shock: Some Visitors to Face $15,000 Visa Bond

While the pilot program is limited in scope, it's another sign that U.S. visa policy is becoming more complex for travelers from certain countries.

The U.S. plans to require bonds of up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas under a pilot program launching in two weeks, according to a Federal Registry notice published Monday.

The 12-month program, slated to start on August 20, would give U.S. consular officers the discretion to require bonds for travelers from countries with high rates of visa overstays.

The notice of the visa bond rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on August 5, and the State Department said it would announce the impacted countries on the Bureau of Consular Affairs' website "no fewer tha