The Trump administration is weighing a proposal that would require green card applicants to post a $100,000 bond, a dramatic escalation in efforts to restrict legal immigration and ensure newcomers are financially self-sufficient.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the administration is evaluating the six-figure bond as a tool to guarantee that immigrants “contribute to our society more than they take from it.” In a statement to The Hill, Pigott said the plan is part of a broader push to “enforce U.S. laws, restore the integrity of our immigration system, and protect American public benefits programs from the financial burden of foreigners who arrive with major expensive medical or other needs.”
Pigott noted the administration is exploring a long-standing legal authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). That provision allows the government to require certain visa applicants—specifically those deemed likely to become a public charge—to post a bond as proof they have the resources to support themselves.
The proposed bond is a sharp departure from current green card fees, which typically range from $1,440 for applicants inside the U.S. to $325 for those applying abroad, plus a $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee. The $100,000 bond would be refundable, collected from the applicant or their U.S.-based family members and returned later.
This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has floated a high-cost barrier for immigrants. A previous attempt to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications was struck down by a federal judge, who ruled the administration overstepped its authority and usurped Congress’s power to set immigration policy and taxes. H-1B visas allow employers to hire foreign talent for specialty jobs, typically in tech, but recipients are temporary workers, not permanent residents like green card holders.
The bond proposal comes amid a broader crackdown on immigration by Trump and Republican lawmakers, including mass deportation measures and legislation targeting birth tourism, a practice that is relatively rare. The administration has also tested similar bond requirements on a smaller scale: since August, visa holders from Malawi and Zambia have been required to post a $15,000 bond that is forfeited if they overstay or apply for other immigration statuses, such as asylum. The State Department has extended that policy to 50 other African countries, claiming it has helped ensure 97% of visa holders did not overstay—though officials acknowledged a drop in visas granted.
Pigott argued that expanding the bond program would give “applicants who have the resources to pay their own way another option to demonstrate their self-sufficiency and qualify for a U.S. visa.” Critics, however, see it as a wealth test that could shut out lower-income immigrants, even those with strong family ties or job offers.
The proposal is likely to reignite debates over immigration policy, with Republicans framing it as a safeguard for taxpayers and Democrats decrying it as a barrier to legal pathways. The Trump administration has also been pushing to restart ICE traffic stops after a pause, a move that has drawn both support and criticism.
