US Makes Visa Bond Program Permanent, Up to $20,000 for 50 Countries

The US State Department is making its visa bond program permanent, requiring some applicants for B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas to post refundable bonds of up to $20,000. According to a draft notice published in the Federal Register, the change takes effect August 3, 2026, and applies to nationals of 50 designated countries, most of them in Africa.

What changed

The program started as a pilot in August 2025 and is now being made permanent. During a visa interview, a consular officer can require an applicant to post a bond set at $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000. The permanent rules drop the pilot's lowest tier and raise the maximum from the previous $15,000.

Applicants who are told to post a bond must file DHS Form I-352 (Immigration Bond) and pay through the US Treasury's Pay.gov system. The money is fully refundable if the visa is denied, or if the traveler leaves the US on time and complies with all visa conditions. No interest is paid on returned funds.

The list currently includes Nigeria, Angola, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, among others. The State Department can add or remove countries based on rolling 12-month overstay data drawn from Customs and Border Protection's Entry/Exit Overstay Reports.

Why the US says it is doing this

Officials tie the policy to enforcement costs, estimating that arresting and deporting one overstaying visitor costs about $18,000. The department says a year-long review gave "sufficient data" to show the requirement improves compliance. During the pilot's first 10 months, fewer than 50 visitors from covered countries overstayed, compared with nearly 45,500 in 2024.

The department also stated it expects the rule to reduce demand for B-1/B-2 applications from affected nationals. During the pilot, visa issuance to those countries fell by 83%, and roughly 20,000 applicants faced the bond, about ten times the 2,000 originally projected.

What it means for nomads

If you hold a passport from one of the 50 listed countries, a trip to the US could now require locking up as much as $20,000 upfront just to be considered for a visitor visa. That is a substantial cash barrier, and there is no guarantee a bond will be required or which tier an officer will choose. Critics have called the sums an "unnecessarily harsh burden" on travelers from lower-income countries.

Practical points to keep in mind: the bond is refundable, but only if you depart on time and follow every visa condition, and you will not earn interest on the held money. A limited waiver exists for athletes, coaches and support staff competing in the FIFA World Cup 2026, though they must still meet all other visa requirements.

Anyone from an affected country planning US travel should check the State Department's published country list, budget for the possible bond, and factor in the extra I-352 filing and Pay.gov payment step when timing an application.

Originally reported by VisaVerge.