Reference News Network, August 6 report. According to the website of Singapore's Straits Times, on August 6, the U.S. government announced a pilot program for visa deposit guarantees, requiring citizens of African countries Zambia and Malawi to pay a deposit when applying for U.S. tourist and business visas, with the maximum deposit amount reaching $15,000.

According to Reuters and NBC News, the U.S. Department of State website published a notice on August 5 stating: "Starting August 20, 2025, any citizen or national holding a passport issued by these two countries who is otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must pay a deposit of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, with the specific amount determined during the visa interview."

The U.S. Department of State said that holders of visas from Zambia and Malawi can only arrive in and depart from the United States through three entry points, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport.

The report stated that the visa deposit amount will be determined by consular officers based on the individual circumstances of each applicant, which may include "any information provided by the visa applicant at the time of applying for the visa or during the visa interview, including travel purpose, current employment, income, skills, and education."

It was reported that the visa deposit pilot program will last until August 5, 2026, and applies specifically to certain foreign nationals applying for B1 or B2 visas to travel to the United States for business or tourism. The maximum stay allowed per visa is six months, but extensions may be applied for in certain cases. If the visa applicant leaves the United States within the time permitted by the visa and complies with all the terms of the visa status, the deposit will be refunded to the applicant.

It is currently unclear why Zambia and Malawi were chosen for the deposit pilot program, as according to the latest Department of Homeland Security report on visa overstays for fiscal year 2023, the list of countries with the highest visa overstaying rates includes Chad, Laos, and Haiti. Approximately 500,000 people entered the United States during this fiscal year, and they remained in the country after their visas expired.

According to the notice in the Federal Register, U.S. consulates around the world may exercise discretion to charge deposits to visitors from countries with high visa overstaying rates, but no specific countries were mentioned.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State on the 4th said that the countries required to pay the deposit will be determined based on "high rates of visa overstays, insufficient screening and review, concerns about investment naturalization without residence requirements, and diplomatic considerations," and the list of countries may be updated from time to time.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7535351067454734890/

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