In a move aimed at tightening immigration controls, the United States will soon implement a pilot program that requires certain foreign visitors to pay refundable visa bonds of up to $15,000. The initiative, which is set to begin on August 20 and last for approximately one year, was officially disclosed through a Federal Register notice released on Monday.
The program grants U.S. consular officers the authority to impose visa bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 on applicants seeking tourist or business visas. According to official guidance, officers will typically be expected to impose bonds starting from $10,000. These bonds will be refunded if the visitor departs the country in compliance with the conditions of their visa.
The policy will target individuals from nations identified by the U.S. government as having high visa overstay rates or insufficient screening and vetting systems. The State Department also indicated that the bond requirements would apply to countries where citizenship is granted without residency, as well as in cases involving broader “foreign policy considerations.”
A spokesperson confirmed that the selection of affected countries will be data-driven and continuously evaluated. Likely candidates include countries such as Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, and Yemen—many of which are already subject to existing U.S. travel restrictions. Several African nations with historically elevated overstay rates, including Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo, may also be affected.
This initiative mirrors a similar visa bond program launched in November 2020 during the final phase of President Donald Trump’s administration. However, that earlier effort saw limited implementation due to widespread travel disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Trump consistently emphasized immigration enforcement as a central tenet of his presidency. His administration introduced travel bans affecting citizens of 19 countries and implemented a series of immigration policies that led to a notable reduction in inbound international travel. By May of that year, transatlantic airfare prices had fallen back to pre-pandemic levels, while travel from Canada and Mexico declined by 20% compared to the previous year.
Additionally, in July, Congress approved a new policy imposing a $250 “visa integrity fee” for non-immigrant visa applicants, which will take effect from October 1. This fee, like the bond, may be reimbursed if the traveller adheres to the terms of their visa.
The U.S. Travel Association, which advocates for major tourism stakeholders, estimates that the bond program could impact roughly 2,000 applicants annually, primarily from countries with lower volumes of travel to the U.S. The organization cautioned that such policies could discourage legitimate travellers and make U.S. visa fees among the most expensive in the world.
While critics argue that the bond requirement and added fees may strain diplomatic ties with developing nations and further suppress tourism, the U.S. government maintains that the measures are critical for enforcing immigration laws and safeguarding national security.
