15 ألف دولار لدخول السيّاح ورجال الأعمال إلى مريكا

The U.S. government announced a new insurance program that allows tourists and business travelers from certain countries to enter the United States in exchange for a fee of up to $15,000.

A statement published in the U.S. Federal Register today indicated that the new pilot program will take effect on August 20 of this year, and the program aims to ensure that visitors comply with the terms and conditions of their visas and leave the United States in a timely manner.

According to the State Department, this decision applies to nationals of countries that primarily require visas to travel to the United States, whether the purpose of their trip is tourism or business.

A spokesperson for the department stated, "This initiative reinforces the Trump administration's commitment to enforcing U.S. immigration laws and protecting national security."

He added, "This decision will apply to citizens of countries identified by the State Department as experiencing high rates of overstaying or individuals whom consular officials consider to have insufficient monitoring and verification information."

According to the statement, approximately 500,000 people overstayed their permitted duration of stay in the United States during the fiscal year 2023 (from October 2022 to October 2023). The State Department has not published a list of the countries affected by the decision.

There are about 40 countries, mostly European, whose nationals benefit from a visa waiver program for a limited period of 90 days.

In recent months, the U.S. president has begun tightening visa requirements for several countries, particularly in Africa, as part of an administration-led campaign to combat immigration.