US converts visa bond pilot into permanent program with $20,000 cap

Bond tiers now run from $10,000 to $20,000 after the pilot's lowest option was dropped, and 30 of the 50 covered countries are in Africa

The US State Department has permanently established a financial bond requirement for certain business and tourism visa applicants, with bonds reaching as high as $20,000 per person. The final rule was posted for public inspection on July 31, 2026, and formally published in the Federal Register on August 3, 2026, the same day it takes effect, according to the Federal Register notice.

The program covers nationals of 50 designated countries who apply for B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas to enter the United States. Consular officers at US embassies and consulates determine on a case-by-case basis whether a bond is required and at which level. During the pilot that ran from August 20, 2025, through August 5, 2026, officers could set bonds at $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The permanent version drops the $5,000 tier entirely and pushes the upper bound from $15,000 to $20,000, leaving three possible amounts: $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000.

The US State Department, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the US Department of the Treasury ran the pilot jointly to test whether a bond system was operationally viable on a large scale. The Federal Register notice concludes that the trial produced enough evidence to justify making the arrangement permanent: in the first 10 months, fewer than 50 travelers from covered nations overstayed, versus 45,488 overstays from the same group of countries in fiscal year 2024. Over that same window, visa issuance rates for covered nations fell by roughly 83 percent, a decline the US State Department attributes in part to applicants who chose not to proceed once they learned a bond would be required. The department initially projected that around 2,000 applicants would face the requirement during the pilot; approximately 20,000 were actually covered.

The bond program originated from a January 20, 2025, executive order issued by President Donald Trump directing the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Department of Justice, and the US State Department to strengthen immigration enforcement and accelerate the removal of individuals residing in the country without authorization.

How does the bond process work in practice?

If you are a national of one of the 50 designated countries and apply for a B-1 or B-2 visa, the consular officer reviewing your case has the authority to require a bond before issuing the visa. The officer sets the amount based on the individual circumstances of your application. You must submit DHS Form I-352 (Immigration Bond) and pay the bond before the visa is released.

The bond is fully refundable. If you comply with every condition of your visa, depart the United States before your authorized stay expires, and do not violate any immigration laws during your visit, the full amount is returned. If you overstay or otherwise breach the terms of your admission, the bond is forfeited to the US government. The Federal Register notice cites an estimated cost of approximately $18,000 to arrest and remove a single visa overstay, a figure the US State Department referenced to justify the bond amounts as proportional to enforcement costs.

Which 50 countries are currently covered?

If your nationality appears on the list below, you may face a bond requirement when applying for a B1 or B2 visa at a US embassy or consulate. The US State Department selects countries based on visa overstay rates published by DHS, deficiencies in screening and vetting information, or participation in Citizenship by Investment programs, where the applicant obtained citizenship without a residency requirement.

Countries were brought into the program in waves between August 2025 and April 2026, according to the US State Department's visa bond country list, last updated May 13, 2026. The list can be expanded on a rolling basis.

Can additional countries be added?

If your country is not currently on the list, that does not guarantee it will remain off. The US State Department has the authority to designate new countries on a rolling basis without publishing a new rule each time. During the pilot, the list grew from an initial group added in August 2025 to the current 50 through six rounds of additions running through April 2026. The permanent rule preserves this mechanism, meaning the program's geographic reach could expand at any point.

What do critics and supporters say?

If you follow the policy debate around this program, two opposing positions have taken shape. Immigration advocacy organizations have argued that the bond requirement places a disproportionate financial barrier on travelers from lower-income nations, effectively pricing out legitimate visits for family, education, and business purposes. Advocates point to the 83 percent drop in visa issuance as evidence that the program deters qualified applicants rather than simply catching potential overstays.

The US government has maintained that the program is a necessary tool for reducing visa overstays and strengthening compliance with immigration law. US State Department officials have pointed to the sharp decline in overstays during the pilot as proof that the bond mechanism works as intended. The final rule also frames the program as a diplomatic instrument, stating that it can encourage foreign governments to reduce overstays by their nationals and improve identity verification practices. The program does not currently extend to student visas, although the underlying statutory authority under Section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act permits bonds for certain other visa categories as well.