The US has updated the list of nations whose citizens would be required to post a visa bond before entering America. The visa bond list has been revised with the addition of four more nations, bringing the total to seven.

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.

The four countries, added to the visa bond list are – Mali (October 23, 2025), Mauritania (October 23, 2025), Sao Tome and Principe (October 23, 2025) and Tanzania (October 23, 2025).

The 3 countries already on the visa bond list Gambia (added on October 11, 2025), Malawi (added on August 20, 2025) and Zambia (added on August 20, 2025).

Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these 7 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. The applicant must also submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352.

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, are subject to the pilot program.

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.

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%.

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)

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.