The Associated Press reports that the State Department is starting a 12-month pilot program, under which applicants for business and tourist visas from certain countries “could be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 when they apply for a visa.” It’s a terrible idea that could further accelerate the already sharp decline in tourism to the U.S.— and hurt an economy showing warning signs of a potential recession.
The signal is clear: the U.S. is making it less and less appealing for people to try to visit.
We don’t know yet which countries the pilot program would apply to but, according to the AP, they will be countries “deemed to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls.” Countries on the visa waiver program list — most of which are European or rich — would be exempt.
The AP notes that bonds have been discussed before but “the State Department has traditionally discouraged the…
