Policy could raise travel costs for Indian tourists and business travellers amid US immigration crackdown
Hyderabad: Indian travellers to the United States may soon be required to pay high visa bonds for temporary business (B1) and tourist (B2) visas. This follows the US state department’s recent imposition of visa bonds of up to $15,000 on travellers from Malawi and Zambia, citing visa overstay rates. India could be next on the list.
In a statement, the department of State said Malawi and Zambia were subjected to visa bonds based on their B1 and B2 overstay rates, as outlined in the Department of Homeland Security’s FY 2023 Overstay Report.
India topped the list for student and exchange visitor visa overstays, with 7,081 individuals failing to leave on time. In the "other classes" category as well, India recorded the highest number of overstayers, with 3,822 suspected cases.
The same report ranked India eighth among countries with the highest number of B1 and B2 visa overstays, with nearly 12,882 suspected cases of individuals remaining in the US beyond their authorised stay.
Experts believe that the imposition of high visa bonds is a political move aimed at penalising countries not viewed favourably by the US. Notably, Malawi and Zambia had only 237 and 388 suspected overstays, respectively, a fraction of the numbers recorded by other countries.
Robert S. McCaw, director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), criticised the policy, saying, “This is not about national security, it’s about weaponising immigration policy to extort vulnerable visitors, punish disfavored countries and turn America’s welcome mat into a paywall.”
Visa bonds are refundable deposits collected by the US government from visa applicants to ensure they leave the country before their visa expires. These amounts are returned once the visitor exits the US within the permitted period.
Dinesh M., an Indian immigration consultant based in Hyderabad, warned that inclusion in the visa bond programme could significantly raise travel costs for Indian families, students and businesspeople. “If $15,000 is imposed, people will have to set aside more than Rs 13 lakh as a security bond just to visit the country — and that’s apart from travel and other expenses,” he said.
He added that the move could be influenced by the US administration’s restrictive stance on immigration. “With India’s already strained relations with the US, they could impose visa bonds and limit the number of people visiting the States,” Dinesh said.
