(The Center Square) – U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance wants the federal government to hold up to a $15,000 deposit for visa recipients to help guarantee they won’t stay in the country illegally.
Vance believes the legislation could cut into the nearly 700,000 people who overstay their visas annually, according to estimates he provided from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“America is a welcoming nation, but we are also a nation of laws,” Vance said in a statement. “There are millions of people in this country who have abused our visa system and circumvented our legal immigration process. It is a slap in the face to the working-class Ohioans whose wages are suffering – I will not stand for it.”
The Timely Departure Act would create a visa bond system requiring non-immigrant visa recipients to deposit money into a holding account with Homeland Security before entering the country.
The money would be returned if visa holders leave when the visa expires. If they stay, Homeland Security would keep the money and use it only to fund the detention and removal of people in the country illegally.
The bill would require a deposit of between $5,000 and $15,000, and people who do not make an asylum claim before their visa expires could not claim asylum after it expires.
The requirements would not apply to people from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program.
