The U.S. Department of State has formally moved to make its visa bond program permanent, extending a requirement that travelers from 50 countries post refundable bonds of $5,000 to $15,000 before receiving B1 or B2 business and tourist visas. The latest Federal Register document marks the transition from a 12-month pilot program to an indefinite enforcement tool, with the most recent expansion adding 12 countries on April 2, 2026.
What the program does
The visa bond program requires nationals from countries with high visa overstay rates to post a refundable bond before being granted a B1 (business) or B2 (tourist) visa. The bond amounts range from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on the applicant’s country of origin and the consular officer’s assessment of risk.
The State Department says the program is designed to ensure that visa holders comply with the terms of their admission and leave the United States on time. If a traveler departs the country before their authorized stay expires, the bond is refunded.
The program began as a pilot in August 2025 and was initially limited to seven countries. It has since been expanded in phases, with 25 more nations added in January 2026 and 12 additional countries added in April 2026.
The full list of countries
The 50 countries now subject to the visa bond requirement 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, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The list is heavily weighted toward Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, with countries selected based on overstay rates and other risk factors identified by the State Department. The department has said the program is “temporary” in name only and is expected to become a permanent fixture of U.S. visa policy.
How it works in practice
Travelers from listed countries who apply for B1/B2 visas must pay the bond before their visa is approved. The bond is refundable if the traveler departs the United States on time, but it can be forfeited if the traveler overstays or violates the terms of their admission.
The State Department has said the program is already “fully enforceable” and that travelers should treat the requirement as active and strictly enforced, even though it is technically still a pilot. Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups have warned that the program could create financial barriers for legitimate travelers, particularly those from lower-income countries.
Political and legal context
The visa bond program is part of a broader Trump administration effort to tighten immigration enforcement and reduce visa overstays. The State Department has framed the program as a necessary tool to combat “illegal overstay rates” and ensure that visitors respect U.S. immigration laws.
Critics argue that the program disproportionately affects travelers from developing nations and could harm diplomatic relations, tourism, and business ties. Some social media users have called for boycotts of U.S. travel, while others have pointed to the program as evidence of what they see as discriminatory immigration policy.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association and other groups have documented the program’s rapid expansion and warned that it could set a precedent for even more restrictive visa policies.
What comes next
The State Department has not yet announced a formal rulemaking process to make the program permanent, but immigration experts say the trend is clear. The program’s expansion from seven countries to 50 in less than a year suggests that the administration intends to use visa bonds as a long-term enforcement tool.
The current pilot is set to expire in August 2026, but the State Department has already signaled that it will not let the program lapse. Travelers from affected countries should expect the bond requirement to remain in place indefinitely, with the possibility of further expansion to additional nations or visa categories.
For now, the program stands as one of the most significant changes to U.S. visa policy in recent years, affecting millions of potential travelers and raising questions about the balance between border security and international mobility.
