The US State Department has published an updated list of countries whose citizens may be required to post a bond of up to $20,000 when applying for certain visa categories. The list includes 50 countries, but Kazakhstan is not among them, according to infohub.kz.
According to the foreign ministry, starting Monday, August 3, a new financial guarantee mechanism will apply to citizens of these countries when applying for tourist and business visas (B-1/B-2). The bond is introduced for countries whose citizens most frequently overstay their visas in the US.
In an official notice, the State Department states: "An alien applying for a visa to visit the United States temporarily for business or tourism (B-1/B-2) may be required to post a bond as a guarantee of compliance with nonimmigrant status and departure from the country in a timely manner. Consular officers may require applicants for certain nonimmigrant visas to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition for visa issuance, at the discretion of the consular officer."
The final list includes 50 countries, 30 of which are in Africa. Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan are also on the list. Kazakhstan is not included.