Fijians who qualify for a US business or tourist visa will be required to pay a bond of US$5,000, US$10,000 or US$15,000 before the visa is approved.
The US Embassy says the bond will be returned to the traveller if he or she complies with all visa conditions and departs the United States before the period of admission expires.
According to the US State Department website, the bond amount is determined at the time of the visa interview.
The programme has been introduced for specific countries with high overstay rates.
According to US Department of Homeland Security statistics, in the 2024 financial year, 7,451 people from Fiji were expected to leave the United States after travelling there for business or tourism.
Out of this number, 294 people did not leave on time, meaning Fiji had an overall overstay rate of 3.95 percent.
Most of these cases, involving 257 people, are classified as suspected in-country overstays, meaning there is no confirmed record that they left the United States. The remaining 37 people left the country but did so after their permitted stay had expired.
This also means that around 96 percent of Fijian travellers complied with US visa conditions, while just under four percent did not, according to US Customs and Border Protection data.
Meanwhile, as a condition of the bond, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must enter and exit the United States through designated ports of entry.
The designated ports of entry include Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
From the list of designated ports of entry, Fiji Airways only operates flights to Los Angeles International Airport.
While responding to earlier questions, Fiji Airways had said it is seeking clarification from the US Embassy on how the bond requirement for people travelling to the United States will affect Fijians.
The airline is yet to provide an update on these discussions.
