The American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago that a pending new policy in the US that could require visa applicants to pay a bond of up to $15,000 "should not apply" to citizens of this country "who have consistently demonstrated compliance with U.S. visa conditions."
00:00The American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago, Amcham TNT, said on Monday that it notes with concern the recent reports regarding the potential requirement by the U.S. State Department for certain visa applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the United States.
00:18The Associated Press is reporting that the U.S. State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000 to enter the United States, a move the AP is reporting that may make the process unaffordable for many.
00:40AP is also reporting that in a notice to be published in the Federal Register of the U.S. on Tuesday, the State Department said it would start a 12-month pilot program.
00:52The notice was available for public viewing on the Federal Register's website before it was published.
00:58It states that under the pilot program, visa bonds may be required from certain applicants for B1-B2 visas who are nationals of countries identified by the Department of State as having high visa overstay rates,
01:13where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or citizenship by investment if the alien or applicant obtained citizenship with no residency requirement.
01:24The notice further says that the State Department will announce the covered countries via travel.state.gov no fewer than 15 days before the pilot program takes effect,
01:35and this list may be amended throughout the pilot with 15 days from announcement to an enactment.
01:43Amcham TNT said in a statement that it firmly believes that such a policy should not apply to citizens of Trinidad and Tobago
01:49who have consistently demonstrated compliance with U.S. visa conditions.
01:54Amcham TNT further said that according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Entry Exit Overstay Report,
02:02Appendix C, Trinidad and Tobago's overstay rate remains one of the lowest in the region at just 2.43%,
02:11a clear indication of Trinidad and Tobago's citizens' respect for immigration rules,
02:16which it said is one of the lowest overstay rates in the world and in the Americas.
02:22Amcham TNT said that at a time when both our nations are seeking to deepen commercial ties,
02:28encourage legitimate tourism, and promote trade and investment,
02:32it urges that any new visa policies reflect the strong bilateral relationship that both nations share
02:39and the track record of compliance shown by the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
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