U.S. Expands Visa Bond Program to 50 Countries

The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that it is expanding a visa bond program by adding 12 countries to a list now totaling 50 nations whose citizens must post bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for business or tourist visas. The change, effective April 2, targets nationals from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia, many of which have high rates of visa overstays.

The program requires applicants for B1 business and B2 tourist visas from designated countries to provide the bond, which is refunded if the visa is denied, if the applicant does not travel after approval, or if the visa holder complies with terms by departing the United States before expiration. Bond amounts can range from $5,000 to $15,000, determined at the discretion of consular officers based on individual circumstances. The initiative aims to deter overstays, a significant contributor to unauthorized immigration. According to a 2023 Congressional Research Service report, about 40 percent of undocumented immigrants in the United States entered legally but remained after their visas expired.