US has updated the list of countries whose citizens will have to post a visa bond before entering America.
Visa bond pilot program applies to foreigners applying for visas as temporary visitors, nationals of countries with high visa overstay rates, or those countries offering Citizenship by Investment plans to foreigners.
Visa Bond Pilot Program
US has introduced visa bonds for temporary visitors entering America. Travellers will have to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.
The 12-month-long visa bond pilot program is an initiative announced by the Department of State. This visa bond pilot program began on August 20, 2025, and will be there until August 5, 2026.
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, may be subject to the pilot program.
Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The amount is determined at the time of the visa interview.
Required ports of entry
As a condition of the bond, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must enter and exit the United States through the designated ports of entry as below:
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Visa Bond Compliance
The full visa bond amount will be returned if the applicant follows all terms of their non-immigrant visa status and the visa bond. These terms are set on the bond form (Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 Immigration Bonds) and on Travel.State.Gov. The bond will be canceled and the money returned automatically in these situations:
The visa holder departs from the United States on or before the date they are authorized to stay in the United States; or
The visa holder does not travel to the United States before the expiration of the visa; or
The visa holder applies for and is denied admission at the U.S. port of entry.
Visa Bond Breach
The Department of Homeland Security will send cases where the visa holder may have broken the visa bond terms to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is to determine if there was a breach. It includes, but is not limited to, these situations:
The visa holder departs from the United States after the date when he or she is authorized to stay in the United States.
The visa holder stays in the United States after the date he or she is authorized to do so and does not leave.
The visa holder applies to adjust out of non-immigrant status, including claiming asylum.
Overstay Rates
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.”
It 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.
The three countries, currently on the visa bond list, are – The Gambia (added on October 11, 2025), Malawi (added on August 20, 2025) and Zambia (added on August 20, 2025).
According to the report, for FY 2023, B1/B2 Overstay Rates for Malawi were 14.32% ( by land) and 4.17% (by air, sea). For students entering the US holding F-1 Study visa, M, and J visas, the overstay rate was 19.71%. Even Zambia has overstay rates of over 10%.
The Gambia had an overstay rate of 38.79% for the B1/B2 category and 18.6% for all categories.
Comparatively, in 2023, for India, there were 3,822 overstays recorded, with a total overstay rate of 1.58%. For B1/B2 visas, the overstay rate was 1.29%.
Starting August 20, 2025, any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond in amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, determined at the time of visa interview.
The applicant must also submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 agreeing to the terms of the bond, through the Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform Pay.gov. This requirement applies regardless of the place of application.
Visa Bond Compliance
The full visa bond amount will be returned to the applicant if the applicant complies with all the terms of the non-immigrant visa status and with the terms of the visa bond.
The bond will be canceled and the bond money will be automatically returned in the following circumstances:
The visa holder departs from the United States on or before the date to which he or she is authorized to remain in the United States; or
The visa holder does not travel to the United States before the expiration of the visa; or
The visa holder applies for and is denied admission at the U.S. port of entry.