Tourists and business travelers could be required to post a bond of up to $15,000 to gain entry into the United States.
The United States government has announced a new 12-month pilot program that will require visitors from Malawi and Zambia to pay a bond before entering the country. This program, effective from August 20, 2025, aims to encourage visa holders to comply with their visa terms, particularly with regards to timely departures.
The selection of these countries for the pilot program is based on their high overstay rates for B-1/B-2 visa holders, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security’s FY 2023 Overstay Report. The Department of State (DOS) uses these overstay rates and other conditions to identify countries whose visa applicants must post a bond.
Eligible applicants will be required to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, as determined by consular officers at the visa interview. Applicants will also need to submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 agreeing to the bond terms and pay through the official U.S. Treasury online platform (Pay.gov).
The program is designed as a 12-month pilot, with the possibility that the list of covered countries may be updated during this period with advance notice.
This bond system, while intended to reduce overstays, introduces financial and administrative burdens that could potentially affect business travel, tourism, and diplomatic relations involving the affected countries.
It's important to note that this pilot aims to test the effectiveness of visa bonds to reduce overstays but may be expanded or adjusted based on observed outcomes. The US Travel Association estimates that the visa bond pilot program will affect around 2,000 applicants, most likely from a few countries with relatively low travel volume.
This new move does not mention any exemptions for countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program, such as the UK. Additionally, the White House has accused some countries of not accepting deportees, but the new move does not specify which countries will be affected.
This latest move comes after the president enacted a travel ban in June, impacting Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
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The financial and administrative burdens introduced by this bond system could potentially disrupt business travel and tourism from Malawi and Zambia, affecting their overall lifestyle. The pilot program, while meant to address the high overstay rates, may inadvertently impact the travel plans of some individuals from these countries.
