US imposes $15,000 visa bond on Zambians, Malawians to curb overstays

By Arijit Ghosh

 

Business travelers and tourists from Malawi and Zambia will have to pay deposits of as much as $15,000 to secure US visas, a measure aimed at curbing overstays in the world’s biggest economy. 

Visitors from the two African nations seeking B-1 business visitor or B-2 tourist permits will have to pay the refundable amounts from Aug. 20, according to a statement by President Donald Trump’s administration. 

 

The measure adds to steps taken by the US government to limit the arrival of people that it deems undesirable. In June, it banned individuals from 12 countries — half of them African — from visiting the US.

 

 

Zambian and Malawian nationals aren’t the worst offenders when it comes to overstaying their visas, Department of Homeland Security data shows. It lists Colombia, Spain and Haiti among countries with the highest number of people that exceed their permitted duration of stay. 

 

“This is not about national security, it’s about weaponizing immigration policy to extort vulnerable visitors, punish disfavored countries,” Council on American-Islamic Relations Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said in a statement. “Demanding thousands of dollars from tourists and business travelers before they even set foot in the US is not a security strategy; it’s a legalized shakedown.”

 

Gross domestic product per capita in Zambia and Malawi is $1,235 and $508 per annum respectively, World Bank data shows. 

The measure is a 12-month pilot program, the US government said.

 

Consular officers can require visa applicants to pay deposits of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000. Those visitors will be required to enter and leave the US through three designated airports: Boston Logan International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, or John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, it said.