US travel body warns visa bond expansion could hurt economy
US Travel Association warns expanding the visa bond program beyond 50 pilot countries could damage the economy and travel sector.
The U.S. Travel Association has voiced concern that the Trump administration may extend its visa bond program beyond the 50 countries currently covered, warning that such a move would harm the travel industry and the broader economy.
The program, which was made permanent this month after a pilot launch in August 2025, allows consular officers to require certain tourist and business visa applicants from designated countries to post refundable bonds of up to $20,000.
Geoff Freeman, president of the U.S. Travel Association, said there are indications the program could be expanded to all countries where visas are required. He described such a scenario as "extraordinarily detrimental" to the U.S. economy and the travel sector.
The State Department has not yet responded to requests for comment on the potential expansion.
According to the administration, visa issuances in the pilot countries fell by 83% during the first 10 months of the program. Overstays from those nations also dropped sharply, from 45,488 in fiscal 2024 to fewer than 50 during the pilot period.
The 50 countries in the program are mostly in Africa, with smaller numbers in Asia, the Caribbean, Central Asia, and Latin America. The administration says the scheme targets nations with high overstay rates or weak information-sharing and document security. New countries can be added with 15 days' notice.
Freeman noted that the current pilot countries account for less than 2% of U.S. visitors. However, the industry is already facing a 25% decline in Canadian travel and Asian arrivals at half of 2019 levels.
Preliminary data from the National Travel and Tourism Office shows total overseas arrivals fell 4.3% year-to-date through June, including a 1.8% drop in June during the soccer World Cup.
Freeman said the industry had hoped the World Cup would encourage policymakers to boost international visitation, not adopt measures that discourage it. He questioned how the sector would cope in an ordinary month if it could not achieve growth during a major sporting event.