US forcing some Pacific visitors to pay up to $27k bond
Travellers in several Pacific countries will now need to pay a bond of up to $27,000 to travel to the US as that government cracks down on overstayers.
A Tongan travel agent is struggling as the United States has made a visa bond program permanent, requiring many Pacific visitors to pay between $10,000 and $20,000 before a visa can be granted. Alisi Mo ungaloa Afu, who has helped clients navigate the US visa process for 15 years, says business has plummeted since the program's introduction in January because clients cannot afford the application fee, travel costs, and the bond.
The program applies to passport holders from 50 countries, including Tonga, Fiji, Tuvalu, and Papua New Guinea, and affects about 78,000 people of the Tongan diaspora in the US. Mo ungaloa Afu's mother and siblings, as well as the friends and relatives of her clients, are among those affected. The bond is refundable if the traveller meets all visa conditions, but many Tongans find it unaffordable due to the high cost.
The US State Department claims the program has reduced overstay rates, but Tonga's prime minister, Lord Fakafanua, said the rule is disappointing and he would explore diplomatic solutions to alleviate the restrictions.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
