The Dominican Republic will be the first country where the U.S. will charge a bond for residency.

The United States is launching a pilot program in the Dominican Republic that will require certain permanent residency applicants to pay a financial bond. The measure targets individuals deemed to be at risk of becoming a public charge.

This initiative marks the first time the U.S. government is implementing such a bond requirement for residency applicants, choosing the Dominican Republic as the initial testing ground for the policy.