The United States State Department said it will be adding Grenada, among 12 new countries, to its visa bond programme effective April 2, requiring Grenadian nationals to post a bond of up to US$15,000 before receiving B1 or B2 visas for business or tourism travel to the United States.

Grenada joins Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba and Dominica to the programme, which will expand to cover nationals from a total of 50 nations.

Under the policy, the bond is returned if the traveller departs the United States in compliance with their visa terms or does not travel.

The State Department said the programme has proven effective since its introduction, with 97% of bonded travellers returning home on time out of nearly 1,000 visas issued under the scheme.

Officials cited overstay rates as the basis for the expansion, noting that during the final year of the Biden administration, more than 44,000 visitors from countries currently covered by the programme overstayed their visas. The department also pointed to cost savings, stating that removing an undocumented person from the United States costs taxpayers an average of more than US$18,000, and that the programme is saving up to US$800 million per year in removal costs.

The State Department said it may continue to expand the list of countries subject to visa bonds based on immigration risk factors.