The Trump administration is evaluating a proposal that would require certain green card applicants to post a refundable $100,000 bond before immigrating to the United States, a policy that officials say would demonstrate financial self-sufficiency while potentially raising the cost of family-based immigration.
The proposal, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, was confirmed Thursday by State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott. If implemented, the bond would apply to selected immigrant visa applicants processing through U.S. consulates overseas, with relatives already living in the United States permitted to provide the money on an applicant's behalf.
Pigott said the administration is examining the proposal as part of a broader effort to ensure immigrants "contribute to our society more than they take from it."
Although the State Department has not finalized the policy, officials are reportedly considering piloting the program in a limited number of countries before deciding whether to expand it. The proposed bond amount could also vary depending on the applicant's circumstances.
Under the plan described by people familiar with the discussions, the financial burden would often fall on U.S.-based sponsors rather than immigrants abroad. Family-sponsored immigration categories-including spouses, parents and children of U.S. citizens-represent a significant share of permanent resident visas, meaning many households responsible for posting the bond would likely be middle-income American families.
Applicants approved for immigrant visas already pay a $235 immigrant fee collected by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services after their visas are issued. The proposed bond would represent a dramatically larger financial requirement and would remain with the federal government for years.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the bond would not be returned immediately after permanent residency is granted. Instead, applicants would recover the money only after becoming U.S. citizens through naturalization, a process that generally requires at least five years as a lawful permanent resident before eligibility to apply.
Until that point, the federal government would retain the funds, effectively holding an interest-free deposit throughout the naturalization period.
The proposal builds on an existing State Department bond program introduced in August 2025 for certain visitor visa applicants from countries identified as having elevated visa overstay rates. Initially launched for travelers from Malawi and Zambia, the initiative requires bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
State Department officials say the visitor-visa program has since expanded to approximately 50 countries. According to the department, about 97% of roughly 1,000 bonded travelers departed the United States before their authorized stays expired. Officials have also emphasized that posting a bond does not guarantee visa approval.
The green card proposal surfaced the same day the Department of Homeland Security finalized new regulations expanding officers' discretion when evaluating whether applicants are likely to become dependent on government assistance.
The revised "public charge" rule, scheduled to take effect on Sept. 18, directs immigration officials to consider participation in programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and housing assistance as potential indicators of future reliance on public benefits.
DHS estimates the rule could reduce public benefit spending by approximately $13 billion annually, largely because some immigrant families may withdraw from assistance programs even when legally eligible. The department also acknowledged that lower enrollment could have broader effects on hospitals, grocery retailers and housing providers.
USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said the agency is "protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing aliens who may become dependent on public benefits."
Taken together, the proposed bond requirement and the revised public-charge standard represent a significant tightening of the financial expectations placed on prospective immigrants. While the bond proposal has not yet been adopted and details remain under review, immigration attorneys and applicants are likely to closely monitor whether the administration moves forward with a policy that could substantially increase the upfront cost of obtaining permanent residence.
