President Donald Trump's administration will require visa applicants from Zambia and Malawi to pay bonds up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas under a pilot program launching in two weeks, the State Department said on Tuesday.

A new U.S. visa policy mandates that some applicants from Malawi and Zambia must pay bonds of up to $15,000 to obtain tourist and business visas. This pilot program, introduced by the Trump administration, targets countries with high visa overstay rates and aims to encourage compliance with visa terms.

The policy has drawn criticism in Malawi and Zambia, where many citizens say the bond is unaffordable and disrupts travel plans. U.S. officials state the bond will be refunded if visitors comply with visa conditions. The move is part of broader efforts to address illegal immigration and enhance national security.

U.S. visitor visa bond puts travel dreams at risk

Outside Malawi's immigration headquarters in Blantyre, people are bemoaning a new U.S. visa scheme, which will require bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the country. This move has shattered plans that most Malawians had to travel. And with our economy, not everyone can manage this bond. For some of us who were willing to go and look for greener pastures, then these plans have been completely abandoned. President Donald Trump's administration will require visa applicants from Malawi and Zambia to pay the bonds for some tourist and business visas under a pilot program. A State Department spokesperson said countries would be identified based on, quote, high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies. The bond will be returned if the applicant leaves the U.S. within the allowed window of time, in line with their visa and complies with all the terms. In Zambia, former Ambassador Anthony Mukwita said the average Zambian lives on $1 a day. The proposal would be unaffordable to most, but this policy could be the push needed to make Zambia more attractive. Zambia is a very rich country. We are 750,000 square kilometers. Ninety percent of that land is arable. We can till, we can weed, and we can produce lots of food so we can reduce poverty. And Zambians will stay in Zambia instead of lining up for $15,000 visas. Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people who are in the U.S. illegally. He issued a travel ban in June that fully or partially blocks citizens of 19 nations from entering the U.S. on national security grounds.

A man accused of killing two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., has been indicted on federal hate crime charges. If convicted on the federal charges, Elias Rodriguez would be eligible for the death penalty.

Washington

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New York

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Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

Trump to meet with Putin "in the coming days," Kremlin says

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Jerusalem

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U.S. Ambassador to Israel faces questions over starvation in Gaza

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Global Tariffs

U.S. begins collecting Trump's new global tariffs

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State of Rio de Janeiro

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Fort Stewart

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Witkoff, Putin had 'useful and constructive conversation'

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NASA races to put nuclear reactors on Moon and Mars

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Hiroshima

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Beijing

U.S. warns travelers as cases of chikungunya increase in China

Japan has commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing during World War II. Ceremonies at Peace Memorial Park honoured the victims of the 1945 nuclear attack by US forces.

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Netanyahu reportedly wants complete Gaza takeover

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Kyiv

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Jackson

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Beirut

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Ottawa

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Geneva

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President Trump announced Friday on social media that he ordered two nuclear submarines to move into more strategic positions near Russia. On Monday, Russian officials downplayed the comments and warned about the risk of nuclear rhetoric.

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Rome

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Breakdown