US Makes Visa Bonds Permanent
The United States on Monday implemented a permanent Visa Bond Program requiring certain B-1 business and B-2 tourist visa applicants from 50 countries – including 30 in Africa, to post refundable security deposits of up to $20,000 before visas can be issued.
The final rule, published in the Federal Register and effective August 3, 2026, converts a 12-month pilot that began in August 2025 into an ongoing requirement. Consular officers may set the bond at $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 based on an applicant’s circumstances, with $15,000 as the standard level. The maximum will adjust for inflation beginning in 2027.
Bonds are posted electronically through a Treasury platform in U.S. dollars and returned without interest if the traveler complies with all conditions, primarily timely departure through a commercial airport. The deposit is forfeited for substantial violations, including overstaying, untimely status changes or filing for asylum.
According to the State Department’s framework, the 50 covered countries include Uganda, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe among the 30 African nations affected. Nationals of countries already subject to the pilot remain covered. The official list is maintained on travel.state.gov and may be updated on a rolling basis, with at least 15 days’ notice for additions.
State Department data from the pilot showed marked results. In fiscal year 2024 the 50 countries recorded 45,488 overstays. In the pilot’s first ten months that number fell to fewer than 50. Visa issuances to applicants from those countries declined 83 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, as many prospective travelers chose not to post the bond. Those who did pay largely complied with the terms of both the visa and the bond.
Officials present the program as a tool to reduce visa overstays – cited in annual DHS reports as numbering in the hundreds of thousands – and as a diplomatic lever to encourage foreign governments to improve compliance by their nationals, strengthen identity verification and enhance screening and document security.
Critics, including immigration observers and tourism advocates, have cautioned that the higher deposits could place travel beyond the reach of many legitimate applicants from lower-income countries and may reduce international tourism to the United States.
Visas issued under the program will be annotated and limited in validity to three or twelve months depending on reciprocity. Holders must enter and depart exclusively via commercial air routes or CBP preclearance locations. Limited waivers remain available at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs or a designee for national or humanitarian interests; applicants themselves cannot apply for a waiver.
The permanent framework follows coordination with the Departments of Homeland Security and the Treasury and responds to Executive Order 14159. Implementation details and the current country list continue to be published on the State Department’s travel website.
