The US travel industry has raised concerns that the Trump administration could expand its visa bond programme to more countries, warning that such a move could discourage international visitors and hurt the American economy.
The US Travel Association said expanding the programme beyond the 50 countries currently covered could have a significant impact on tourism and travel-related businesses.
“There are already rumblings of expanding this program to additional countries where visas are required, perhaps all countries where visas are required,” US Travel Association President Geoff Freeman told Reuters.
“That would have an extraordinarily detrimental effect on the US economy, on the travel industry,” he said.
The US Department of State this month made permanent a visa bond programme that was initially introduced as a pilot in August 2025.
Under the programme, consular officers can require certain tourist and business visa applicants from 50 designated countries to post refundable bonds of up to $20,000.
The bond can be forfeited if a traveller overstays their authorised period or violates other conditions of their immigration status.
The administration says the programme is designed to address visa overstays and concerns related to information-sharing, security vetting and document systems in countries with higher rates of visa violations.
The State Department has also said additional countries can be added to the programme with 15 days' notice.
The Trump administration said visa issuances to applicants from the countries covered by the pilot programme fell 83% during its first 10 months.
At the same time, visa overstays from those countries reportedly dropped sharply — from 45,488 in fiscal 2024 to fewer than 50 during the pilot period, according to the administration.
The countries currently covered are predominantly in Africa, with others located in Asia, the Caribbean, Central Asia and Latin America.
However, the travel industry argues that the programme could discourage legitimate travellers along with those deemed at higher risk of overstaying.
Freeman said the countries currently covered account for less than 2% of visitors to the United States, meaning the programme's direct impact is currently limited.
But he warned that the broader US travel industry is already experiencing a decline in international arrivals.