The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many.

Covered visa applicants will be required to post a bond of up to $15,000, but the State Department gave consular officers three options for bond amounts: $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000. Consular officers can determine the exact amount of the bond “based upon the applicant’s circumstances.”

The State Department is preparing a plan to force visa applicants from certain countries to post large bonds guaranteeing they will not stay in the United States beyond their visas. The department will begin a yearlong visa bond program in which foreigners applying for B-1 or B-2 visas and who are from countries the department