The State Department is permanently adopting a visa bond requirement covering citizens of 50 countries, mostly in Africa, after reporting a sharp decline in overstays during the program’s pilot period.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The State Department is making permanent a visa bond program that requires certain foreign nationals to post substantial financial guarantees before applying for U.S. business or tourist visas, while increasing the maximum bond from $15,000 to $20,000.
A draft Federal Register notice published Friday said an almost year-long review produced “sufficient data” showing that the program helped improve compliance with visa requirements. The regulation is scheduled to be formally published Monday, when the permanent version of the program takes effect.
The policy currently applies to passport holders from 50 countries, most of them in Africa, and the State Department may add more countries to the list.
Under the pilot program launched by the Trump administration last August, consular officers could require bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 depending on the circumstances of an applicant. The final rule eliminates the $5,000 option and raises the maximum possible payment to $20,000.
The requirement applies to applicants seeking B1 business visas or B2 tourist visas. Individuals subject to the rule must post the bond as part of the process for obtaining an interview and traveling to the United States.
The money is returned if the visa application is denied. If the visa is approved, the bond is refunded when the visitor complies with the conditions of admission, including leaving the United States within the authorized period.
The administration introduced the program as part of a broader effort to reduce visa overstays and illegal immigration. Federal officials estimate that apprehending and removing a visitor who remains in the United States after a visa expires costs approximately $18,000 per person.
State Department officials cited the results of the pilot period as justification for continuing the policy.
According to the notice, nearly 45,500 visitors from the 50 affected countries overstayed their visas in 2024. During the first 10 months of the visa bond pilot, however, fewer than 50 overstays were recorded among nationals of those countries.
The program also had a much larger effect on visa applications than the government initially anticipated.
State Department projections had estimated that approximately 2,000 applicants would ultimately be required to post bonds. Instead, roughly 20,000 applicants became subject to the requirement during the first year.
Nearly half of those applicants declined to pay the required bond. Business and tourist visas issued to citizens of countries covered by the program subsequently fell by 83%.
“The department expects that this final rule will contribute to the continued reduction of demand for B1/B2 visa applications from nationals of countries subject to the program,” the Federal Register notice said.
Supporters within the administration have described the steep reduction in overstays as evidence that the financial requirement gives visa holders a strong incentive to comply with U.S. immigration rules.
Critics have argued that the policy disproportionately affects people from poorer countries by making travel to the United States significantly more expensive, including for applicants seeking to visit relatives or pursue educational and business opportunities.
The permanent regulation nevertheless expands rather than reduces the financial requirement, removing the lowest bond level and giving consular officials authority to impose payments of as much as $20,000.
Additional countries may be brought under the program as the State Department continues using overstay data and other immigration compliance measures to determine where visa bonds should apply.
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