Tourism & short stayEffectiveHigh impactVerified

United States Visitor Visas

🇺🇸 United StatesVisitor Visas1 recorded versionLast change 3 Aug 2026

ConfidenceVery high · 90%

Current rules

The Department of State (DOS) has established a permanent Visa Bond Program. Under this programme, consular officers are authorised to require a visa bond from certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants. The bond amount can be up to $20,000. The programme identifies visa applicants based on criteria such as being nationals of countries with high overstay rates, deficient information sharing, or insufficient identity verification. The DOS will announce covered countries on https://www.travel.state.gov at least 15 days before the programme applies to them. Modifications to this list will also be announced, with additions taking effect 15 days after announcement and removals taking effect immediately. The programme includes three levels for the bond amount, selected by the consular officer based on individual circumstances. It also defines terms and conditions for visa bonds, including procedures for applying, setting, paying, and cancelling bonds, as well as bond breaches and appeals.

Overview

This rule finalises the temporary final rule that went into effect on 20 August 2025, establishing a permanent visa bond programme. Consular officers may require B-1/B-2 visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance.

Who is affected by the latest change

Nationals of countries designated under the U.S. Visa Bond Program
Applicants for B-1 business visas
Applicants for B-2 tourist visas
Applicants seeking combined B-1/B-2 visitor visas
Consular officers processing covered applications
The State Department's current country list includes 50 countries
Countries have been added to the programme in stages
The State Department's published list includes countries such as:
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
The complete State Department list should be used rather than relying on a static country list, because additional countries may be designated

What changed in the latest version

Before

Before this final rule, a temporary final rule created a 12-month Visa Bond Pilot Program. This started on 20 August 2025. This pilot programme helped the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of the Treasury test if a visa bond programme would work. During the pilot, consular officers could also ask certain nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visa applicants to pay a bond.

After

The Department of State (DOS) created a permanent Visa Bond Program. Under this programme, consular officers can ask for a visa bond from certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants. Each bond can be up to $20,000. The programme identifies visa applicants based on certain factors. These factors include being from countries with many people who overstay their visas. They also include countries with poor information sharing or weak identity checks. The Department of State will announce countries included in the programme. This will be on https://www.travel.state.gov. They will announce this at least 15 days before the programme applies to those countries. They will also announce changes to this list. New countries will be added 15 days after the announcement. Countries removed from the list will be removed right away. The programme has three levels for the bond amount. The consular officer chooses the level based on each person's situation. It also sets rules for visa bonds. These include how to apply for a bond, how to set the amount, how to pay it, and how to cancel it. It also covers what happens if bond rules are broken and how to appeal decisions.

This policy change is important because it makes a temporary visa bond rule permanent. This shows a long-term plan to use bonds to make sure people follow immigration rules. For B-1/B-2 visa applicants from certain countries, this means they might have a new cost of up to $20,000. This is a condition to get their visa. This directly affects their travel plans and how much money they need to have ready. For consular officers, this rule gives them permanent power and rules for asking for visa bonds. This affects how they make decisions for some B-1/B-2 visa applications. The policy aims to lower the number of people who overstay their visas. This might lead to stricter visa approvals for people from countries with many overstays or security concerns.

Explained simply

Imagine you're planning a trip to the U.S. for a holiday or business meeting. Usually, getting a B-1/B-2 visa involves an application, an interview, and a decision. But now, if you're from certain countries, the U.S. Department of State might ask you for an extra step: a 'visa bond.' Think of it like a security deposit, just like when you rent an apartment or a car. You pay a certain amount—it could be up to $20,000—and you get it back when you leave the U.S. on time and follow all the rules of your visa. This is meant to make sure everyone with a B-1/B-2 visa leaves when they're supposed to. The U.S. government will decide which countries need this 'security deposit' and will let everyone know on their travel website. So, before you apply, it's a good idea to check that website to see if this applies to you. If it does, be ready to pay that deposit as part of getting your visa.

Version history

v1Effective 3 Aug 2026EffectiveHigh impact
Visas: Visa Bond Program
This rule makes a temporary rule permanent. It creates a visa bond programme. Consular officers can ask B-1/B-2 visa applicants to pay a bond of up to $20,000. This is a condition to get the visa.

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