United States (US) Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, has clarified that Guyanese citizens who are applying for a business or tourism visa to that country will be exempt from paying the newly introduced travel bond of as much as US$15,000.

“So, currently, Guyana is not included in that list. It does not apply to Guyanese citizens applying for a visa,” Ambassador Theriot told reporters on the side-lines of an event on Wednesday morning.
As part of its ongoing immigration crackdown, the US Government has implemented a new requirement that will see travellers from some countries having to pay bonds of up to US$15,000 to enter the country.
This 12-month pilot programme, which affects B1 business and B2 tourism visas, will take effect from August 20. The proposed visa bond has three tiers: US$5000, US$10,000 and US$15,000, which would be refundable to travellers who comply with the terms of the bond.
The visa bond will be applied mainly to countries with high overstay rates in the US – something which Ambassador Theriot says Guyana is not part of.
“Guyana’s overstay rate is not very high… In my opinion, it’s not problematic in that sense. So, at this moment, Guyana is not included in that list, and obviously, anything could change, but I would be very surprised [if it changes],” the US diplomat stated.
A recently released report by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed that some 3186 Guyanese nationals, who entered the US on non-immigrant visas for business or tourism purposes, overstayed their legal period of stay in 2023, resulting in an overall overstay rate of 5.59 per cent.
Meanwhile, in addition to the US$15,000 bond, the US has also introduced a new US$250 visa integrity fee for all international visitors.
However, Ambassador Theriot could not say whether this would be applied to Guyanese non-immigrant visa travellers.
She told reporters, “I don’t know because I don’t know the basis of that one. I’d have to go back and do some research. I’m not sure about that. But I know you’re definitely not on the bond list.”
The recent CBP report noted between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023, a total of 56,965 Guyanese citizens were legally admitted to the US through air and sea ports of entry on non-immigrant business and tourist visas. However, 3186 individuals failed to depart the country within the authorised time frame, resulting in an overall overstay rate of 5.59 per cent.

Overstaying
Of this total, 3070 were categorised as suspected in-country overstays, meaning they had no record of departure and no known change in immigration status. Additionally, 27 Guyanese nationals on student or exchange visas overstayed their time in the US.
According to CBP, the global average overstay rate for non-immigrant visitors during the same period was 1.45 per cent, making Guyana’s rate nearly four times higher. Overstays are considered serious immigration violations by US authorities and may lead to visa revocations, travel bans, or tighter visa issuance policies for nationals of affected countries.
Back in March, the US Embassy in Georgetown had cautioned individuals holding US non-immigrant visas about the severe consequences of overstaying their allotted time in the US.
Overstaying a visa could lead to a permanent travel ban, according to a statement published on the embassy’s social media page on Tuesday. The embassy emphasised that visa holders must abide by the terms of their visas and adhere to their designated duration of stay.
For visitors, the most common visa — the B1/B2 — allows for a stay of up to six months. However, visitors must depart before this period expires. Failure to do so could result in serious repercussions, including being barred from entering the US for life. Additionally, the Embassy noted that US consular officers have access to comprehensive immigration histories, ensuring that any violations, including overstays, are flagged.
“Consular officers have full access to your immigration history and will know about past violations. There is no such thing as an “honest mistake” – it is your responsibility to use your visa correctly,” the Embassy indicated.
The warning comes amid a broader crackdown on illegal immigration by the US Government.
Since President Donald Trump assumed office in January, there has been a significant increase in immigration enforcement actions. This includes raids across US communities, particularly those with large Guyanese and Caribbean populations. The embassy’s warning is part of this intensifying enforcement against illegal immigration, which also includes a halt on asylum seeker processing.