The latest relevant notice, to be published in the Federal Register on August 3, claimed that the pilot program “has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.” The State Department understood this decline in overstay rates as the direct result of the bond program. During the interview, for citizens of the listed countries, the consular officer decides whether a visa bond will be required – either $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000. Kyrgyzstan’s overstay rate was lower than Turkmenistan’s, at 8.39 percent, but because of the higher number of travelers from Kyrgyzstan represented 643 people. Furthermore, the reality is that even the lowest current end of the visa bond – $10,000 – represents an almost impossible sum for many people.