U.S. Launches Pilot Visa Bond Program for Select Business and Tourist Applicants

Prime Highlights

Certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants will have to pay $5,000 to $15,000 refundable bonds to the U.S. State Department in a pilot program set to run for one year.
The program, effective August 20, 2025, seeks to discourage visa overstays and strengthen border security.

Key Facts

Malawians and Zambians will be the first group in line with potential expansion to others.
Bonds are refundable when departing on time; violations result in forfeiture and future entry limitation.

Key Background

The U.S. Department of State is enforcing a 12- month Visa Bond Pilot Program that requests certain business( B- 1) and sightseer( B- 2) visa aspirants from select countries to give a refundable bond previous to entering the United States. The program, which will last from August 20, 2025, through August 5, 2026, will drop overstay rates and enhance visa compliance.

Consular officers sharing in the program will set the bond quantum —$ 5,000,$ 10,000, or$ 15,000 — through threat-specific assessments. The dereliction quantum will be$ 10,000, and fiscal difficulty or increased assurance conditions will be acclimated on that base. Electronic payment for bonds is needed prior to allocation of the visa, and refunds will be made if the rubberneck leaves within the specified length of stay.

First, the pilot program will be for nationals of Malawi and Zambia who have been identified by U.S. Department of Homeland Security as having excessive overstay. Additional countries may be included in the pilot with at least 15 days prior notice. Participants of Visa Waiver Program countries are excluded from the requirement because they do not require a visa to temporarily stay.

Visas under the pilot would normally allow single entry within three months of issue. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers can also restrict the maximum stay to 30 days, and entry or exit to specific U.S. airports, such as Boston Logan, Washington Dulles, and New York JFK. In the event of overstaying or breach of visa conditions, the bond will be forfeited and the individual will be subject to future visa sanctions.

The State Department characterizes the program as both a security program, and a diplomatic one, to encourage foreign governments to advance identity verification and cooperation in immigration compliance. It will also be a test program for testing the potential of bond programs for visa risk management on a wider scope.