The U.S. State Department has expanded a controversial policy requiring some visitor-visa applicants to post refundable “visa bonds” of $5,000 to $15,000, adding Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan to the list, according to a notice posted on the department’s travel website. The new designations took effect Jan. 1, 2026.
The requirement is part of the Visa Bond Pilot Program, launched in 2025, to discourage visa overstays by creating a financial penalty for travellers who violate the terms of entry. U.S. officials say the bond is set by consular officers (typically $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000) and is refunded if the visa is denied or if U.S. immigration authorities record that the traveller complied with the visa’s conditions and departed on time. Paying a bond does not guarantee visa approval.
State Department guidance says travellers subject to the bond must also enter and exit the United States through specific airports — Boston Logan (BOS), New York JFK (JFK) and Washington Dulles (IAD) — and failure to comply can trigger enforcement review and potential bond breach findings.
The seven newly added countries join earlier pilot participants — Malawi and Zambia (effective Aug. 20, 2025), The Gambia (Oct. 11, 2025), and Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Tanzania (Oct. 23, 2025) — bringing the total to 13 countries under the original expansion effective Jan. 1.
The Trump administration has defended the bonds as a compliance tool aimed at reducing overstays, but critics argue the high cost can function as a barrier for legitimate travel, especially for applicants from lower-income countries. Reporting on the program has noted that some newly listed countries do not rank among the highest overstay sources, fueling questions about how countries are selected.
The move is the latest in a broader tightening of U.S. entry screening and visitor-visa enforcement. And the list may not be final: the Associated Press and other outlets reported that the administration moved again this week to expand the bond requirement to additional countries effective Jan. 21, sharply widening the policy’s reach.
