Guyanese Not Required to Pay New US$15,000 US Visa Bond – Amb Theriot

Guyanese applying for United States business or tourism visas will not be affected by the recently introduced US$15,000 bond requirement, US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot confirmed on Wednesday.

“Guyana is not included in that list [and] it does not apply to Guyanese citizens applying for a visa,” Theriot told reporters.

The exemption follows the US State Department’s announcement that travellers from certain countries will soon be required to post bonds of up to US$15,000 as a condition for entry. The measure, outlined in a temporary final rule published on August 5 in the Federal Register, targets nations with historically higher rates of visa overstays. Visitors who adhere to the conditions of their visa will have the bond refunded.

Data from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) showed that in 2023, 3,186 Guyanese who entered the US on non-immigrant B1 (business) and B2 (tourism) visas overstayed their permitted time, representing an overstay rate of 5.59 per cent.

“Guyana’s overstay rate is not very high… in my opinion, it’s not problematic in that sense,” Theriot explained. “So, at this moment, Guyana is not included in that list, and obviously, anything could change, but I would be very surprised [if it changes].”