Green card could soon require a $100,000 bond deposit: Here's what Trump admin's new proposal means

The United States may soon require people seeking permanent residency to put up $100,000 before their green-card application can move forward. The Trump administration is actively weighing the proposal, framing it as a way to ensure that those who obtain lawful permanent residence are capable of supporting themselves without relying on government-funded benefits.

Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesperson, confirmed the administration was working with the Department of Homeland Security on the measure. He said the goal was to bring "commonsense and effective procedures" to US immigration enforcement, protect public benefits programmes from those who arrive with significant financial needs, and restore what the administration describes as the integrity of the system.

Pigott said the proposal would draw on authority that already exists within the Immigration and Nationality Act — a provision that allows the government to require individuals who might otherwise be deemed likely to become a public charge to demonstrate financial capacity by posting a bond. Under this arrangement, the money would be collected upfront from the applicant or from family members already living in the US, and returned at a later point.

What applicants currently pay

To put the proposed figure in context: someone applying for a green card from within the US currently pays $1,440 to file the primary application form, with further charges for work authorisation and travel documentation in many cases. Those going through consular processing abroad pay around $325 for the visa application itself, followed by a separate $235 processing fee once the visa comes through. A $100,000 bond would exceed all of these costs by a significant margin.

Not the first attempt at a financial threshold

This is not the first time the Trump administration has tried to place a large financial barrier in the path of would-be immigrants. Earlier, it moved to attach a $100,000 fee to applications for H-1B visas, the category that lets American employers bring in overseas talent for specialised roles, most commonly in technology. A federal judge blocked that move, ruling that the administration had overstepped its powers and effectively taken over a function, setting immigration fees and policy, that belongs to Congress. H-1B visa holders are temporary residents, unlike green-card holders who gain permanent status.

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A smaller version already running

The bond idea is not entirely new. Since last August, nationals from Malawi and Zambia applying for US visas have been required to put up $15,000 upfront, which is forfeited if they overstay their permitted period or seek to change their immigration status after arrival, for example, by applying for asylum. The requirement has since been extended to around 50 other African countries.

Administration officials cited the scheme as a success, pointing to figures suggesting that 97 per cent of visa holders from those countries did not overstay. However, State Department officials acknowledged a separate consequence: the number of visas being issued to applicants from those countries has also fallen.

Pigott suggested that a broader bond programme would effectively create an alternative route for those with the means to use it — giving financially secure applicants a way to demonstrate their self-sufficiency and move forward with their applications. What it would mean for those without that kind of liquidity, the proposal does not address.