THE US State Department is proposing a requirement for applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the US.

While it is unclear whether the proposal would affect citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, it comes on the heels of the imposition of new tariffs on this country by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

According to an Associated Press report on August 4, a notice which is to be published in the Federal Register on August 5, indicates the State Department will start a 12-month pilot programme under which people from countries deemed to have to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 when they apply for a visa.