While St Vincent is not on the US $15,000 visa bond list, the country ranks second in the Windward Islands and second in the ECCU grouping for citizens who overstay on business or tourist visas in the United States.
A visa bond is a financial guarantee that some countries require for certain foreign nationals applying for temporary visas to ensure visa holders adhere to the terms of their visa – particularly the length of stay.
More than 264 Vincentian nationals who entered the United States (B1/B2) overstayed their legal period of stay in Fiscal Year 2023, according to a newly released report by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The number amounted to 3.23%, with a suspected overstay rate of 3.00%.
Nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors’ overstay rate for St Vincent was five (5) or 2.98%, with a suspected overstay rate of 1.79%.
Each year, the US grants thousands of temporary nonimmigrant visas to foreign students, tourists, and workers. The visas can last from a few weeks to several years.
As part of its crackdown on immigration, the US State Department has announced that it will start requiring travellers from certain countries to pay bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the United States.
The State Department confirmed that visitors from Zambia and Malawi would be the first to be targeted under the new policy.
ANTIGUA 185 – 1.38%
BAHAMAS 3,288 – 1.43%
BARBADOS 201 – 0.52%
CUBA 893 – 7.69%
DOMINICA 210 – 3.71%
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 20,259 – 4.59%
GRENADA 185 – 1.91%
GUYANA 3,186 – 5.59%
HAITI 27,269 – 31.38%
JAMAICA 12,268 – 5.25%
SAINT KITTS – NEVIS 111 – 1.36%
SAINT LUCIA 264 – 1.96%
SVG 264 – 3.23%
TRINIDAD 1,053 – 0.77%
The Trump administration’s State Department attempted a visa bonds program in 2020, but it was not fully implemented due to a decrease in global travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Department guidance historically discouraged consular officers from requiring visa bonds because the process was “cumbersome” and could lead to misperceptions by the public, the State Department’s notice said.
However, the department said this view “is not supported by any recent examples or evidence, as visa bonds have not generally been required in any recent period, notwithstanding a 2020 pilot program that did not provide any substantive data.”
The number of non-citizens who arrived on a visa with no matching departure data “demonstrates that hundreds of thousands of nonimmigrant visitors fail to timely depart in accordance with the terms of their visitor visa,” the notice said, citing government reports since 2000.
