The Donald Trump administration has launched a new pilot programme that requires certain prospective immigrants to deposit bonds of up to $250,000 before they can receive a United States visa. The scheme, which took effect on Tuesday, August 4, was reported by the Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday, August 5, and is being implemented in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security.
Initial Focus on Dominican Republic Visa Applicants
The programme initially targets visa applicants at US consular offices in the Dominican Republic. According to a State Department official, consular offices there will begin asking certain immigrants who have been found ineligible on public charge grounds to post a bond with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in order to be issued an immigrant visa. The 'public charge' classification refers to individuals denied a visa because of concerns they cannot financially sustain themselves and may rely on government-funded benefits.
Bond amounts will not be fixed. Consular officers will evaluate each case based on the applicant's individual circumstances, with the bonds in cases processed this week falling in the range of $100,000 to $250,000, according to State Department information. The Dominican Republic was selected for the pilot based on the 'scope and scale' of immigrant visa operations at the US embassy in Santo Domingo.
Administration Cites Legal Authority and Welfare Concerns
The administration stated that the programme draws on long-standing authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which permits certain otherwise ineligible applicants to post a bond as proof that they can fund their own stay. A State Department official said: "Immigrating to the United States is a privilege, not a right. Those who seek to obtain that privilege must be capable of demonstrating that they will be a benefit — rather than a burden — to our nation."
Officials added that the programme would "protect American public benefits programmes from the financial burden of foreigners who arrive with major medical expenses or other needs." The administration pointed to several studies in justifying the move. A 2023 Cato Institute report found that immigrants consumed about $401.6 billion in welfare and entitlement benefits that year, including roughly $125.2 billion by non-citizens. Separately, a February 2025 report from the Centre for Immigration Studies, drawing on 2024 government data, found that 51 percent of households headed by legal immigrants used at least one major welfare programme, compared with 37 percent for US-born households.
Bond Oversight and Cancellation Terms
US Citizenship and Immigration Services will oversee each bond and determine when its terms are fulfilled or breached. A bond can be cancelled after five years if the immigrant has not received public cash assistance for income maintenance or long-term government-funded care. The State Department framed the bond scheme as an opportunity rather than a penalty, saying applicants with sufficient resources now have an additional route to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency and qualify for a visa. Officials said the initiative could expand to other countries in the future.
Related: Trump Visa Rule Risks $400 Billion
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a new policy introduced by President Trump's administration restricting how long international students can remain in the US could cost the US economy up to $400 billion in annual economic output, according to a report by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). The rule, issued in July and set to take effect in September, scraps the longstanding 'duration of status' arrangement, which allowed students to remain in the country for the full length of their studies without a fixed deadline. Under the replacement policy, most international students will receive a stay of up to four years, after which they must apply for an extension to continue studying or to remain for post-graduation work.
