On Wednesday, 18 March 2026, the United States Department of State announced further measures to strengthen migration control and to limit visa overruns. In this context, nationals of some 50 countries could soon be required to pay a deposit of up to $15,000 when applying for tourist or business visas. These include Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Georgia, Tunisia and Mozambique.
According to a message published in the U.S. State Department's official account, this financial guarantee would be fully reimbursed to travellers who comply with the conditions of their stay, including by leaving U.S. territory before the expiry of their visa.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to strengthen border security and to combat irregular immigration, including cases of exceeding the length of stay allowed. The State Department announced this.
