US to Require up to $15,000 in Bonds for Tourist Visas

The US State Department announced Wednesday that travelers from certain countries will be required to post refundable bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas. The 12-month pilot program, effective Aug. 20, targets nationals of countries with historically high rates of visa overstays.

According to the temporary final rule published Aug. 5 in the Federal Register, consular officers will set bond amounts at $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 based on each applicant’s circumstances, including their reason for travel, employment, income, skills, and education.

About 2,000 visa applicants are expected to participate, at an estimated total cost to travelers of $20 million, assuming an average bond of $10,000.

The first countries subjected to the pilot Visa Bond program are Malawi and Zambia

“If the bond conditions are met, the full amount will be refunded,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. The first countries subject to the requirement are Malawi and Zambia.

The rule excludes citizens of Mexico, Canada, and the more than 40 nations in the Visa Waiver Program, whose participants may enter the United States for tourism or business without a visa for up to 90 days.

It’s about to cost a lot more to travel to the US.

The US is rolling out a pilot program that requires visitors from some countries to pay a bond of up to $15,000 to get a visa.

Starting August 20, people from Malawi and Zambia applying for B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourist)… pic.twitter.com/QwW3Yu2yFq

— newZWire (@newswireZW) August 5, 2025

Visa bonds are financial guarantees designed to ensure that temporary visitors depart the country on time, a measure that has been utilized elsewhere. New Zealand once required bonds but later dropped the policy, and the United Kingdom briefly considered a similar measure in 2013. The Trump administration attempted a visa bond pilot in 2020, but it was never fully implemented due to pandemic-related declines in travel.

Rising Visa overstays are the reason why the bonds are set to be implemented

The State Department says rising visa overstay figures prompted the new measure. About 400,000 visa holders remained in the country beyond their authorized stay in fiscal year 2023, accounting for roughly 40% of the US undocumented population, according to Department of Homeland Security data.

Consular officers may grant waivers in specific circumstances, such as US government employee travel or urgent humanitarian needs. Additional countries will be added to the program based on overstay rates, screening deficiencies, or the presence of citizenship-by-investment schemes. According to the memo, it will be the consular officer’s prerogative to decide the kind of bond the applicant must pay to enter the United States. 

The US will require bonds of up to $15,000 for certain tourist and business visas under a year-long pilot program set to begin in two weeks, aiming to curb visa overstays https://t.co/QYGw1yiSdf pic.twitter.com/FxatMgD6pi

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 6, 2025

Critics of the policy have labeled it a “legalized shakedown” that could punish law-abiding visitors and strain diplomatic ties with affected nations. In contrast, supporters of the measure argue the bonds will bolster compliance and help recover costs associated with enforcing overstays.