Zambia: U.S. Requires Zambia, Malawi Citizens to Pay Up to U.S.$15,000 Bond for Some Visitor Visas

Addis Ababa — The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to 15,000 US dollars to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many.

The new requirement targets countries like Malawi and Zambia.

Critics have denounced the bond scheme as a ‘legalised shakedown’ that profits from vulnerable, lawful travellers.

In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it would…