World · 3 August 2026
US to require up to $20,000 visa bonds from mostly African countries
Visitors from 50 mostly African nations face higher fees for US business and tourist visas under a permanent rule change. The State Department, the American government's foreign policy department, said the move aims to stop people staying past their visa expiry dates. Nearly half of the affected applicants chose not to pay during an earlier trial run, causing an 83% drop in visas issued.
Reported by Independent · How we write briefs