Haitian group condemns ‘discriminatory impact’ of US visa bond policy on Caribbean immigrants

SAN DIEGO, United States (CMC) – The California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has strongly condemned the expansion of the United States (US) Visa Bond Programme, warning that it discriminatorily impacts Caribbean and other immigrants. HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the policy requires certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants to post financial bonds ranging from US$5,000 to US$20,000 as a condition of entry. While presented as a visa compliance measure, Jozef said that the policy creates “a wealth-based barrier to lawful travel and raises serious concerns regarding fairness, transparency and discrimination”.

Jozef said that by conditioning mobility on the ability to produce thousands of dollars upfront, the policy disproportionately impacts individuals from countries facing economic hardship and humanitarian challenges. “This policy is discriminatory in both its design and its practical impact. Access to lawful travel should not depend on whether an individual can afford a substantial financial bond.

This creates a system where mobility is determined by wealth rather than eligibility.” She said the financial burden of this policy is especially concerning given economic realities in the United States. “Millions of Americans lack sufficient savings to cover unexpected expenses as low as US$500.00, and a similar requirement imposed on US travellers abroad would place international travel out of reach for many. “A policy that would be viewed as exclusionary if applied to Americans should not become acceptable when imposed on travellers from Africa, the Caribbean, and other regions of the Global South,” the HBA executive director said.

She said while the US Department of State has not issued a final list of countries subject to the expanded programme, the initial Visa Bond Pilot Programme provides insight into its potential impact. Jozef said the countries included in the pilot programme were concentrated in Africa and other regions with predominantly Black and brown populations, “raising serious concerns about disparate impact and the use of nationality-based classifications in immigration policy.” She noted that those lists have grown to include approximately 50 countries, with a significant concentration in Africa, as well as nations in Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia.