Tourists may soon be required to pay a substantial $15,000 visa bond.
The United States Department of State has announced a new visa bond pilot program for tourists, which will initially affect nationals of Malawi and Zambia starting August 20, 2025. The program requires these applicants for B-1/B-2 visitor visas to post a financial bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, as determined by consular officers.
The pilot program is designed as a trial run to assess the feasibility of the policy, with only approximately 2,000 visitors expected to post the bond during the 12-month pilot period.
The visa bond is a refundable security deposit required as part of the visa application process by consular officers and can range from $5,000 to $15,000. Visitors will get the money refunded if they don't breach the terms of the bond.
The criteria for adding countries to the program include high visa overstay rates, deficiencies in vetting and screening information, and citizenship-by-investment programs with no residency requirements, which raise concerns about fraud. Broader foreign policy considerations may also influence country additions.
The State Department has reserved the right to add additional countries with at least 15 days’ public notice before the bond requirement takes effect. Currently, the expansion target list is not finalized, but the State Department will update the countries subject to the program on travel.state.gov as changes occur.
It is worth noting that countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, which includes 42 countries from Europe and the Middle East, are exempt from the bond requirement. The pilot program is set to run for 12 months, ending around August 5, 2026, at which point its scope and future may be reassessed.
Visitors must comply with the visa bond compliance requirements, which include arriving and departing from one of the required ports of entry listed on the State Department website, currently including Boston, JFK, and Washington Dulles airports. A breach of the visa bond occurs if a visitor who enters on a valid nonimmigrant visa applies for an immigrant visa, including asylum.
Travelers are advised to check the U.S. State Department’s website for the most up-to-date list of countries affected by the visa bond requirement. The Department of State may target countries that offer golden visas or "citizenship by investment."
[1] State Department Press Release, "New Visa Bond Pilot Program for Tourists," 2025. [2] State Department Fact Sheet, "Visa Bond Pilot Program for Tourists," 2025. [3] State Department FAQ, "Visa Bond Pilot Program for Tourists," 2025. [4] State Department, "Visa Waiver Program," 2025.
- The Visa Bond Pilot Program, as mentioned in the State Department Press Release, also includes a focus on assessing the impact of the policy on lifestyle choices, as tourists may need to adjust their plans due to the financial bond requirement.
- In the State Department Fact Sheet regarding the Visa Bond Pilot Program, it's highlighted that businesses offering citizenship-by-investment programs without residency requirements, commonly associated with travel, may be targeted for potential expansion of the controversial policy.
