America’s image as a land of opportunity is fading fast, and South Africans may need to think twice before booking their bucket list holiday to the States, for the next year at least.

Stricter border controls, tougher immigration policies, and a harsher political climate are making the U.S. feel increasingly unwelcoming to many international travellers.

Travel agencies have warned for months that tourism to the U.S. is tanking.

The latest salvo is a U.S. State Department proposal to charge visa applicants from certain countries to pay a hefty “bond” before entry is granted.

A 12-month pilot programme might see business and tourist visa applicants asked to post bonds of between $5,000 and $15,000.

The measure would apply to visitors from countries with high visa overstay rates or weak internal security systems.

It is reportedly aimed at ensuring travellers leave the U.S. on time and comply with their visa terms.

Countries affected will be named once the programme takes effect.

If U.S. President Donald Trump’s well-known stance on South Africa is any indication — “very bad things are happening there” and “they have very bad policies” — visiting America may soon become prohibitively expensive for South Africans, unless you’re prepared to take out a temporary short-term loan.

An official notice is set to be published in the Federal Register on 5 August.

A preview of the bond notice, published on Monday, sets out some of the terms:

Purpose of the Program:

“The Department is publishing this TFR to establish the Pilot Program… for the purpose of ensuring the legally required departure of an alien from the United States…”

Scope and Target Group:

“Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the Department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering Citizenship by Investment… may be subject to the pilot program.”

Bond Amounts:

“Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance…”

“The Department is providing consular officers three options for bond amounts: $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000.”

Program Duration:

“The Pilot Program will last 12 months, beginning on the effective date of this TFR.”

Foreign Policy Justification:

“The Pilot Program is a tool of diplomacy, intended to encourage foreign governments to take immediate action to reduce the overstay rates of their nationals…”

Visa Waiver Program Exception:

“Aliens travelling under the Visa Waiver Program fall outside the scope of the Pilot Program…”

Bond Posting Platform:

“Under the process for this Pilot Program, consular officers will require the visa bond be posted via https://www.Pay.Gov as a condition of visa issuance for certain visa applicants.”

Visa Annotation and Entry Limitations:

“Visas issued under the Visa Bond Pilot Program will be valid for a single entry to the United States within three months of the date of visa issuance…”

“CBP officers at the port of entry will limit the period of admission to 30 days.”

Bond Cancellation Conditions:

“The bond should be cancelled when there has been ‘substantial performance of all conditions imposed by the terms of the bond.’”

Bond Breach Consequences:

“If a visa holder fails to comply with the terms and conditions… the bond will be considered breached, and the bond deposit will be forfeited.”