United States government plans to impose bond up to $15,000 as a requirement for visa applicants seeking entry into the country, according to recent reports.
The United States Department of State has announced a new visa bond requirement aimed at reducing the high overstay rates of business (B1) and tourist (B2) visa holders from certain countries. This measure is part of a one-year pilot program, scheduled to take effect within 15 days of its formal publication in the Federal Register.
The bond, which ranges from $5,000 to $15,000, acts as a financial incentive for applicants to comply with their visa terms and depart the U.S. before their authorized stay expires. The bond is targeted at countries with notably high overstay rates, as identified by the Department of Homeland Security's FY 2023 Overstay Report. Currently, Malawi and Zambia are subject to this pilot program.
Applicants will be informed of the bond requirement by consular officers and will be required to pay the bond via the U.S. Treasury's official online payment platform, Pay.gov, by submitting Form I-352 and agreeing to the bond conditions. If the visa holder complies with the visa's conditions, the bond can be canceled and refunded following verification.
It is important to note that posting the bond does not guarantee visa issuance; consular officers maintain discretion over visa eligibility. Unsolicited payments or bond submissions without direction will not be refunded.
The bond requirement serves as a targeted enforcement mechanism designed to encourage visa compliance among nationals from countries with high overstay rates. The goal is to reduce visa overstays by creating a financial disincentive for non-compliance, effectively strengthening enforcement of immigration laws by adding a tangible cost to visa violations.
This approach is a new tool supplementing existing visa screening measures and is currently experimental, pending evaluation after the pilot concludes. The State Department traditionally discouraged the requirement of visa bonds due to the cumbersome process and potential public misperceptions. However, the department stated that previous opposition "is not supported by any recent examples or evidence, as visa bonds have not generally been required in any recent period."
The visa bond requirement will not apply to citizens of countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program. The majority of the 42 countries in the Visa Waiver Program are in Europe, with others in Asia, the Middle East, and elsewhere. The countries affected by the visa bond program will be listed once the program takes effect.
This proposal is part of the Trump administration's efforts to tighten visa requirements. Last week, the State Department announced that many visa renewal applicants would have to submit to an additional in-person interview. The department is also proposing that applicants for the Visa Diversity Lottery program have valid passports from their country of citizenship.
It is worth noting that visa bonds have not been a common requirement in recent periods and have been proposed in the past but not implemented. The purpose of the pilot program is to ensure that the U.S. government is not financially liable if a visitor does not comply with the terms of his or her visa.
In summary, the visa bond requirement serves as a targeted enforcement mechanism designed to encourage visa compliance among nationals from countries with high overstay rates by requiring a refundable financial guarantee tied to their authorized stay in the U.S. The pilot program is a new tool in the arsenal of visa screening measures aimed at strengthening immigration enforcement.
The new visa bond requirement, targeting countries with high overstay rates, is part of a business strategy (business) aimed at enforcing immigration laws (politics). This financial guarantee, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, acts as a disincentive for visa holders to overstay their authorized stay, ensuring general-news compliance with visa terms (finance). If the visitor complies with the visa's conditions, the bond can be canceled and refunded (finance).
