Introduced in August last year, the Visa Bond Pilot Program required selected applicants for B-1/B-2 visitor visas to provide a refundable financial guarantee before traveling to the United States. The bond is intended to discourage travelers from remaining in the country beyond their authorized stay and is refunded if all visa conditions are met.
According to the U.S. State Department, the permanent rule is based on findings from the pilot program, which “provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.” The department published the draft notice confirming the change on Friday.
Bond Amounts Rise to a Maximum of $20,000
Under the permanent program, consular officers may require visa bonds of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000, replacing the pilot program’s bond levels of $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000.
The State Department says officers are generally expected to set the bond at $15,000. The amount may be lowered to $10,000 if an applicant cannot afford the standard bond but can still finance the planned trip. It may also be increased to $20,000 if an applicant’s ties to the United States suggest that a higher amount is needed to help ensure a timely departure.
According to the State Department, officers may consider the purpose of the trip, along with the applicant’s employment, income, skills and education when determining the appropriate bond. The department also notes that the amount is not assigned automatically based on nationality.
The bond remains fully refundable. It is returned if the traveler complies with the visa conditions and leaves the United States before the authorized stay expires. Refunds are also available if the visa holder does not travel before the visa expires or is denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.
State Department Points To Pilot Program Results
The State Department cited data collected during the pilot program to justify making the policy permanent.
According to the department, the 50 countries covered by the rule recorded 45,488 visa overstays during the 2024 financial year. By comparison, fewer than 50 overstays were reported during the first 10 months of the pilot program among travelers who had been required to post a visa bond.
The department also reported that visa issuance to nationals of the affected countries declined by 83 percent compared with the same period a year earlier. Officials said that decrease was partly due to thousands of otherwise eligible applicants deciding not to pay the required bond.
The State Department wrote that the pilot produced enough evidence to support continuing the program on a permanent basis.
The Permanent Rule Applies to Travelers From 50 Countries
The visa bond requirement applies to individuals traveling on passports issued by the designated countries, regardless of where they submit their visa application. The State Department says the list may be revised on a rolling basis. Countries added to the program will generally receive at least 15 days’ notice, while removals may take effect immediately.
As reported by Newsweek, the countries currently covered by the permanent rule are Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and PrÃncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The permanent policy maintains the requirement that travelers from these countries may be asked to post a refundable bond before receiving a U.S. tourist or business visa, with the final amount determined by a consular officer based on the applicant’s individual circumstances.
