The US Department of State has identified Fiji as one of the countries that will be required to pay visa bonds from the 21st of this month.

Fijian passport holders applying for B1/B2 visitor visas, used for tourism and business travel, may be required to pay a visa bond of US$5,000, US$10,000 or US$15,000, depending on the outcome of their visa interview.

The State Department says the bonds are designed to deter visitors from overstaying their visas for tourism or business.

The measure is aimed at encouraging compliance with visa conditions.

A bond does not guarantee visa issuance. If someone pays fees without the direction of a consular officer, the fees will not be refunded.

The bond will be canceled and the money returned automatically when the visa holder’s departure from the United States on or before the date to which they are authorised to stay, the visa holder does not travel to the U.S. before the expiration of the visa, or when the visa holder applies for and is denied admission at the U.S. port of entry.

The Department of Homeland Security will send cases where the visa holder may have broken the visa bond terms to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  This is to determine if there was a breach.  

It includes, but is not limited to, these situations:

• The Department of Homeland Security records indicate that the visa holder departed from the United States after the date to which he or she is authorised to stay in the United States.
• The visa holder stays in the United States after the date to which he or she is authorised to do so and does not leave.
• The visa holder applies to adjust out of non-immigrant status, including claiming asylum.