Entering America on a B1/B2 visa is getting tougher for citizens of several countries. The Trump administration has imposed stringent monetary obligations on citizens of certain countries before they enter the United States.
Under the Visa Bond Pilot program, citizens of select countries will have to cough up a specific amount before they are allowed to enter the US on a B1/B2 visa. Once they leave the US, as per the visa conditions, the money will be returned to them.
As of today, there are 38 countries, but soon the total number of countries on the visa bond list will shoot up to 50.
The US has been revising the list of countries in the Visa Bond program. From April 2, 2026, citizens of another 12 countries, in addition to the existing 38 nations, will need visa bonds to enter America.
The 12 new countries included in the visa bond program are Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia.
These countries join 38 nations that are already included in the visa bond program. Those countries are Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
If the name of the country is on the Visa Bond list, B1/B2 will be issued to the citizens of those countries only once they post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.
Why Pay for a $15,000 Bond
The biggest reason why the US is asking to post a bond is to ensure visitors leave America as per the visa stay period. The visa bond program will apply to foreigners applying for visas as temporary visitors, citizens of countries with high visa overstay rates, or those countries offering Citizenship by Investment plans to foreigners.
Foreigners applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the Department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering Citizenship by Investment, if the foreigner obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, are subject to the pilot program.
A visa overstay is defined as “a nonimmigrant who was lawfully admitted to the United States for an authorized period but stayed in the United States beyond their authorized admission period.”
The visa bond list is based on the B1/B2 overstay rate per the Department of Homeland Security’s FY 2024 Overstay Report, last updated on July 16, 2025.
Refund
The bond will be canceled and refunded automatically if: the visa holder leaves the U.S. on or before their authorized stay; does not arrive in the U.S. before the visa expires; or is denied entry at the U.S. port of entry.