Trump’s Billion-Dollar Blunder: Now Wants to Slap $15K Fee on Tourists to “Fix” It

Trump Administration Eyes $15,000 Visa Bonds for Visitors from High Overstay Countries

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing a controversial plan that would require certain foreign visitors to pay bonds of up to $15,000 before entering the United States. The policy, aimed at curbing visa overstays, would primarily target travelers from countries with high overstay rates — many of them in Africa — and could be rolled out as part of a one-year pilot program.

According to The Guardian, the program would apply to individuals seeking tourist or business visas from affected countries. So far, the State Department’s travel site lists only Malawi and Zambia as participants in the trial. Applicants from these nations could be asked to pay $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, with the exact amount determined during their visa interview.

How the Bonds Would Work
The government says the bonds are designed to shift the financial risk of overstays away from taxpayers and place it on travelers themselves. The money would be refunded when the visitor departs the United States, becomes a naturalized citizen, or dies.

Tourism and Business Leaders Sound Alarm
Industry advocates warn the policy could have serious consequences for the already-struggling U.S. tourism sector. Lee Garces, a U.S. citizen interviewed by Global News, called the plan “very harmful for our country,” while her husband Serge said it would be a step backward for international travel.

This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has imposed travel-related fees. Earlier this year, the White House introduced a $250 “visa integrity fee,” which Geoff Freeman, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, mocked as “a fee that would make Ticketmaster blush.”

Billions at Risk
U.S. tourism has been in decline since Trump took office, with Forbes estimating losses of up to $29 billion as foreign visitors choose other destinations. The decline has already placed millions of tourism-related jobs at risk, and observers fear the new bond requirement could worsen the trend.

Critics say the proposal’s financial burden will fall hardest on citizens of poorer nations and will undermine the U.S.’s image abroad. “Rather than discouraging overstays, these bonds will simply discourage visits,” one travel industry analyst said, “accelerating America’s isolation from the rest of the world.”