US to Require Visa Bonds of Up to $15,000 for 12 More Countries

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The US State Department announced it is adding 12 more countries to a list of nations whose citizens must post bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for US visas. Effective April 2, passport holders from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia will be required to pay the refundable bond, which is returned if the visa is denied or the person adheres to the terms of the visa.

Why it matters

The visa bond program was rolled out by the Trump administration as part of a broader crackdown on visa overstays and illegal immigration. The State Department claims the program has already proven effective at reducing the number of visa recipients who overstay their visas and remain in the US illegally.

The details

Under the program, visa applicants from designated countries, many of which are in Africa and have high visa overstay rates, have to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 depending on their circumstances and the discretion of the consular officer processing the application. The State Department says almost 97% of the nearly 1,000 people who have posted the bond have not overstayed their visa.

• The new requirements will go into effect on April 2, 2026.