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The United States has announced that citizens from Malawi and Zambia will be required to pay a $15,000 (£11,300) deposit to obtain a tourist or business visa. This new rule, detailed by the US State Department, is part of a 12-month pilot program aimed at reducing visa overstays and addressing deficiencies in screening and vetting processes.
The deposit will be refunded once the visa holder completes their stay in the US, according to the notice. However, the State Department also hinted that this requirement could soon apply to citizens of other countries with high overstay rates or similar visa concerns.
The initiative aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader immigration agenda, which has prioritized curbing illegal immigration. In his second term, Trump signed an executive order aimed at tightening US border and visa controls.
The official notice states: “Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the Department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering Citizenship by Investment, may be required to post a bond of up to $15,000.”
Data from the US Department of Homeland Security reveals that 14% of visitors from Malawi and 11% from Zambia overstayed their visas in 2023. Other countries with high overstay rates include Haiti (31%), Myanmar (27%), and Yemen (20%).
Zambia’s Foreign Minister, Mulambo Haimbe, expressed concern over the new policy, stating that the government is engaging with US authorities to better understand the implications and explore possible solutions to address the issue.
Since taking office in January, President Trump has enacted a series of measures to limit immigration, including restrictions on travel from certain countries, visa revocations, and detaining international students, often without prior notice or clear explanations. While some of these actions have been linked to national security concerns, others have been speculated to target individuals with certain political views, such as pro-Palestinian activism.
The State Department has stated that these actions are aimed at individuals whose activities “run counter” to US national interests, with immigration lawyers noting that some visa cancellations seem to involve minor legal infractions.
This move is just one of many measures being introduced by the Trump administration to reshape US immigration policy, with potentially broader impacts for travelers and visa applicants worldwide.
