People hoping to immigrate to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic will now have to pay hefty bonds to qualify for visas, the State Department announced this week. The State Department announced last August that visa bonds valued between $5,000 and $15,000 would apply to a select list of countries that had “high visa overstay rates.” Earlier this week, the State Department increased the visa bond payment minimum to $10,000 and maximum to $20,000 when the program became a permanent rule. The State Department, in conjunction with Homeland Security’s U.S. The new fees for immigrants trying to overcome USCIS visa denials could expand to the other 49 countries subject to the newly permanent bonds.