US State Department proposes US$15,000 bond for visa

A Trinidad and Tobago passport. FILE PHOTO/AYANNA KINSALE -

THE US State Department is proposing a requirement for applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the US.

While it is unclear whether the proposal would affect citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, it comes on the heels of the imposition of new tariffs on this country by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

According to an Associated Press report on August 4, a notice which is to be published in the Federal Register on August 5, indicates the State Department will start a 12-month pilot programme under which people from countries deemed to have to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 when they apply for a visa.

The report did not identify those countries.

The report said a preview of the bond notice, which was posted on the Federal Register website on August 4, said the pilot programme would take effect within 15 days of its formal publication and was necessary to ensure that the US government was not financially liable if a visitor did not comply with the terms of his or her visa.

“Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure and who are nationals of countries identified by the department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering citizenship by investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot programme."

The countries affected will be listed once the programme takes effect, it said. The bond could be waived depending on an applicant’s individual circumstances.

The bond would not apply to citizens of countries enrolled in the US Visa Waiver Programme, which enables travel for business or tourism for up to 90 days. The majority of the 42 countries enrolled in the programme are in Europe, with others in Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere.

TT citizens need a visa to enter the US for business or tourism purposes. These visas are defined as B1/B2 visas.

These visas are issued for a period of ten years and allow for multiple entries into the US within this period.

Visa holders are limited to a maximum period of six months that they can stay in the US.

In a statement, the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) expressed concern about the development.

"We firmly believe that such a policy should not apply to citizens of TT, who have consistently demonstrated compliance with US visa conditions."

Amcham said, "According to the US Department of Homeland Security's FY2023 Entry/Exit Overstay Report (Appendix C), TT’s overstay rate remains one of the lowest in the region, at just 2.43 per cent – a clear indication of our citizens’ respect for immigration rules. This is one of the lowest overstay rates in the world and in the Americas."

Amcham said it was a time when TT and the US were both seeking to deepen commercial ties, encourage legitimate tourism and promote trade and investment.

Amcham suggested any new visa policies being developed with respect to TT and the US should reflect the strong bilateral relationship between both countries and "the track record of compliance shown by our citizens."

Government officials and officials from the US Embassy in Port of Spain were unavailable for comment.

Previously, the embassy in Port of Spain advised that people applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa were requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the US under US law.

The embassy said that was pursuant to the presidential proclamation on restricting the entry of foreign nationals to protect the US from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats which took effect on June 9.

TT Chamber seeks review of US tariffs

Earlier in the day, the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce expressed concern about an executive order issued by the US government on July 31 which which outlines an increase in the reciprocal tariff rates from ten to 15 per cent on a range of imports, including goods from TT.

In a statement, the chamber said, "These new measures are scheduled to take effect this week, August 7."

The chamber added, "This latest action represents a significant departure from the long-standing principles of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) which is a US policy framework designed to promote economic development and export-led growth in the Caribbean through preferential market access."

The chamber said as a key beneficiary under the Caribbean Basin Eonomic Recovery Act (CBERA), TT has long relied on stable, preferential trade with the US to bolster its manufacturing and export capacity.

The chamber urged government, along with its Caricom counterparts, to urgently engage US counterparts to seek clarity and advocate for a review of the decision.

"This moment highlights the need to revisit and modernise the Caribbean Basin Initiative, ensuring that it remains fit for purpose in a changing geopolitical and trade environment."

Commenting on the issue outside the Red House after signing a condolence book for Independent Senator Deoroop Teemal who died on August 3, former minister in the ministry of finance Brian Manning said the development could make a devaluation of the TT dollar more likely.

"You may recall it was the UNC when they were in opposition who had been calling for sanctions against TT and now they've gotten it from the US."

Manning suggested government begin talks with the US to come up with a new trade deal with that nation.

He said it was another instance of the UNC backing itself into an economic corner because it had no idea where it would get the revenue needed to run the country.

"They shut down the TTRA (TT Revenue Authority). They undermined the Drago (gas) deal (with Venezuela)."

Manning said TT was currently being assessed by Standard and Poors in terms of its credit rating.

He did not expect anything adverse to arise from the assessment because the UNC was a new government and was still getting its house in order.

But Manning believed a downgrade in TT's credit rating could come in the near future.

"That also places immense pressure on our exchange. Many persons believe this is bringing us one step closer to a devaluation of our currency."

He said that would increase the cost of living for almost everything across the board.

Former finance minister Vishnu Dhanpaul said, "The question becomes what if the tariff goes to 20 (per cent) the next month and 25 (per cent) the next month."

He added this situation makes local goods less competitive in the US market.

Dhanpaul suggested government look for other markets for TT goods besides the US.

He identified India and Ghana as two countries which could be considered in this regard.

(With reporting by Paula Lindo)

Countries in the US Visa waiver programme:

Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino.