Trump's costly visa bond program is now permanent

The US has made permanent a pilot program requiring citizens of 50 countries — 30 of them African — to post bonds to obtain US tourist and business visas.Launched 12 months ago, the program instructed consular officers to set a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, “based upon the applicant’s circumstances.” Citizens from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia were among those affected. In making the pilot permanent, the State Department also raised the maximum bond to $20,000 from $15,000 and scrapped the $5,000 tier.“Based on its extraordinary success in slashing overstays from bonded countries to near zero, the State Department has made the Visa Bond Program permanent,” a State Department spokesperson told Semafor.Critics say the bonds impose a harsh financial burden on travelers. The cr