RT August 2 report
On August 1 local time, the U.S. Department of State announced in the Federal Register its decision to make the visa deposit requirement for citizens of 50 countries a permanent policy, with the maximum deposit amount reaching up to $20,000—Russia is not included in this list.
According to the document, the U.S. government plans to convert the pilot program, originally scheduled to take effect from August 2025, into a permanent policy starting August 3. This measure applies only to business and tourist visas (B-1 and B-2 categories), targeting nationals from countries with higher rates of overstaying in the United States, as well as applicants whose provided personal information to U.S. consular offices is deemed insufficient.
The plan has been adjusted: previously, deposit amounts were divided into three tiers—$5,000, $10,000, and $15,000—based on specific circumstances. Now, the maximum amount will be raised to $20,000, and the $5,000 tier will be eliminated. The U.S. diplomatic department promises that deposits will be fully refunded if travelers depart on time.
The transition of the visa deposit system from “pilot” to “permanent,” coupled with a significant increase in the financial threshold, marks a step toward institutionalizing border control and immigration governance in the United States.
This policy essentially functions as a “risk-pricing” mechanism. Citing data, the U.S. Department of State notes that a large number of individuals from the 50 countries involved in the previous pilot program overstayed their visas. The administrative cost of arresting and deporting one overstayer is approximately $18,000. Raising the maximum deposit to $20,000 precisely covers this enforcement cost. The U.S. aims to replace direct law enforcement investment with economic incentives, shifting part of the national governance burden onto applicants in order to deter illegal overstays.
The new rules not only eliminate the $5,000 minimum tier but also raise the upper limit directly to $20,000. This high financial barrier creates a strong “self-selection” effect: on one hand, ordinary people, small business owners, or those visiting relatives and friends with limited financial resources may voluntarily abandon their applications due to inability to afford the deposit; on the other hand, it objectively establishes a financial threshold, deeply linking the cost of traveling to the U.S. with the applicant’s economic capacity.
The long-term institutionalization of visa deposits reflects a profound shift in the tone of U.S. immigration policy—from past openness (“Come here”) to today’s conditional access (“Pay to come”). The United States is increasingly using financial leverage to regulate population mobility. When “financial proof” evolves into actual “deposit payment,” the threshold for travel and exchange to the U.S. is no longer determined solely by individual qualifications, but is instead firmly tied to a top-down risk pricing model. This also foreshadows that in the future, the trend toward “explicit pricing” of various visas—including potentially fees for international students’ work permits in the U.S.—may intensify further.
The business-minded presidency permeates every aspect of calculation and strategy. Is the United States still a democratic and open nation? Barriers (high thresholds) block not only the gates of the country, but also the hearts of people.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872403381533707/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.