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

The new requirement targets countries like Malawi and Zambia.

Critics have denounced the bond scheme as a ‘legalised shakedown’ that profits from vulnerable, lawful travellers.

In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it would start a 12-month pilot program under which people from countries deemed to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds of 5,000 USD, 10,000 USD, or 15,000 USD when they apply for a visa.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration is tightening requirements for visa applicants.

Last week, the State Department announced that many visa renewal applicants would have to submit to an additional in-person interview, something that was not required in the past.