Guyanese don’t have to pay US$15,000 travel bond – Ambassador 

Though the United States (US) could require bonds of up to US$15,000 for some tourist and business visas soon, the country’s Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot, said Guyanese won’t have to pay that.

“Currently, Guyana is not included on that list; it does not apply to Guyanese applying for a visa,” Theriot said on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday.

Recently, it was reported that the US would be launching a pilot programme as part of efforts to crack down on visitors who overstay their visas.

The program gives U.S. consular officers the discretion to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays, according to a Federal Register notice. Bonds could also be applied to people coming from countries where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient, the notice said.

President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the U.S. illegally.

While unsure of current numbers, Theriot said Guyana’s overstay rate is not high. As such, the country is not on the list of nations to be affected by this new programme.