The Department of State of the United States is considering imposing a bond of 100,000 dollars on certain applicants for permanent resident cards who process their cases at U.S. consulates abroad.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the measure would specifically target those considered potential "public charges," meaning applicants who might rely on government assistance after obtaining residency.
The spokesperson for the State Department, Tommy Pigott, confirmed on Friday that the agency is considering requiring a "six-figure" bond from that category of applicants.
"The Trump administration is restoring the basic expectation that immigrants to the United States should contribute to our society more than they take from it," Pigott stated.
According to the details that have emerged, the bond would be refundable, but only after the immigrant naturalizes as a U.S. citizen, a process that takes at least five years after obtaining a green card.
If the beneficiary resorts to public assistance programs or violates other conditions, the funds could be confiscated.
Family members already residing in the United States may take on the payment on behalf of the applicant, and the final amount may vary depending on the individual circumstances of each case.
Officials plan to test the scheme first in a small group of countries before deciding whether to expand it.
The proposal adds to another policy that is already in effect: a USCIS memorandum from May 22, 2026 which establishes that the default pathway to obtain a green card is through consular processing abroad, not adjustment of status within the country.
This means that thousands of people with temporary visas who could previously regularize their situation without leaving the United States will now have to do so from abroad and, under the new proposal, potentially pay $100,000 to achieve this.
The most direct precedent for this initiative is a pilot program launched in August 2025, when the Department of State began requiring bonds of up to $15,000 from visitors from 50 countries —including Cuba and Venezuela since January 21, 2026— with a 97% compliance rate on visa deadlines.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security published on Friday the new rule regarding "public charge," which will take effect on September 18, 2026 and will allow USCIS officials to consider the use of Medicaid, food stamps, and housing assistance as negative factors in denying permanent residency.
Immigration lawyers strongly oppose the bond proposal. Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, warned that the plan turns the immigration system into a "pay-to-participate" system.
"We are making our system pay-to-play: only the rich can come to visit, meet with their family, or seek a better life," stated Dalal-Dheini to the Wall Street Journal.
The proposal is not yet an officially approved policy, but the speed with which the Trump administration has implemented other immigration changes makes it an imminent risk.
A previous ruling that could complicate its implementation is the judicial nullification of the $100,000 fee for H-1B visas: a federal judge declared it null in June 2026 on the grounds that the executive exceeded its authority.
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