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State Department announces visa-bond pilot for Malawi and Zambia applicants to B-1/B-2 categories
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Summary
The department said a temporary final rule will implement a visa-bond pilot requiring nationals of Malawi and Zambia applying for B-1/B-2 visas to post bonds of up to $15,000 beginning Aug. 20, according to the spokesperson.
The State Department announced a temporary final rule implementing a visa-bond pilot that will require nationals of Malawi and Zambia applying for B-1 and B-2 (business and tourist) visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 beginning Aug. 20. The announcement was made at a State Department press briefing where the spokesperson described the change as part of an effort to deter visa overstays.
The spokesperson said the rule implements authorities under the Immigration and Nationality Act and is consistent with executive order 14159. She described the program as “targeted common sense” intended to reinforce immigration law and deter overstays, and characterized the measure as a temporary, pilot program announced in the Federal Register.
Discussion only: the podium issued a readout of the temporary final rule; reporters asked for implementation details and broader policy context but the spokesperson limited remarks to the rule’s stated scope and referred further procedural or timing questions to published guidance in the Federal Register.
The department did not announce additional categories or an expansion beyond the two named countries at the briefing.
