Starting on the 20th, citizens holding passports from Zambia and Malawi who apply for visas for temporary trips to the United States, including tourism or business, will have to post a bond ranging from US$5,000 to US$15,000. The measure was announced on this Tuesday (5) by the U.S. Department of State.
“Any citizen or national traveling with a passport issued by one of these countries and considered eligible for a B1/B2 visa [tourism and business] must post a bond in the amounts of US$5,000, US$10,000, or US$15,000, as determined at the time of the visa interview,” the U.S. government stated in a note.
“The applicant must also submit Form I-352 from the Department of Homeland Security, agreeing to the bond terms, through the Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform, Pay.gov. This requirement applies regardless of the application location,” the department added.
According to the statement, payment of the bond in the amounts stipulated by the U.S. government does not guarantee visa issuance to the applicants. “If any individual pays fees without being instructed to do so by a consular officer, that money will not be refunded.”
The note also states that all visa holders subject to the bond requirement must enter the United States through the following terminals: Boston International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport.
The full bond amount will be refunded to the applicant, according to the statement, if they comply with all terms for the nonimmigrant visa withdrawal and the terms set forth in Form I-352. The bond will be canceled and the amount automatically refunded in the following circumstances:
• the visa holder leaves the United States on the deadline date they are authorized to remain in the country or before it; the visa holder does not travel to the United States until the visa expires;
• the visa holder requests and is denied entry at a U.S. port of entry.
The conditions that, according to the U.S. Department of State, constitute violations of the terms and will consequently result in non-refund of the bond amount include:
• the visa holder leaves the United States after the date they are authorized to remain in the country;
• the visa holder remains in the United States after the date they are authorized to remain in the country;
• the visa holder requests adjustment of nonimmigrant status, including asylum applications.
Understand
On the previous Monday (4), the U.S. government announced a pilot program requiring bonds of up to US$15,000 to obtain tourism or business visas to the country. To date, only Zambia and Malawi have been listed, leaving Brazil off the initial list.
The Department of State stated that the measure will be tested for a period of 12 months and affects applicants for the B-1 visa, for temporary business activities including attending meetings and conferences, and the B-2 visa, for tourism travel, visiting family and friends, or medical treatment.
Source: Agência Brasil