The Timely Departure Act would require most foreign visitors entering the United States as temporary (nonimmigrant) visitors to post a bond or cash payment between $5,000 and $50,000 before admission, designed to ensure they leave the country when their authorized stay expires. If a visitor overstays their authorized departure date, the bond would be automatically forfeited without appeal and deposited into a new "Immigration Detention and Enforcement Account" to fund detention facilities and deportation transportation. Visitors who overstay would also face removal from the country and be barred from obtaining any lawful immigration status for between 4 and 12 years, and those seeking asylum or protection would lose the ability to apply if they miss their departure deadline without filing first. The bill exempts certain visa categories, including diplomats and visa waiver program participants, from the bond requirement. The legislation would take effect 30 days after enactment.
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