In this Aug. 17, 2018, file photo, people arrive before the start of a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office in M๐ขami.
Nationals from 50 countries, including 30 in Africa, will face security deposits of up to 20,000 U.S. dollars when applying for certain business and tourist visas under a permanent visa bond program announced by the United States. Officials say the measure aims to curb visa overstays, b๐ฎt critics warn it could deter legitimate travelers.
The U.S. Department of State has made ๐ermanent a visa bond program requiring certain applicants from 50 countries to post security deposits of up to 20,000 U.S. dollars before receiving a visa.
The rule took effect on August 3, 2026, and applies to applicants seeking B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas. Consular officers may require a bond as a condition for issuing a visa, with the deposit forfeited if the travel๐r violates the terms of their stay after entering the United States.
Higherย bondย amounts
Theย permanentย policyย expandsย aย pilotย programย introducedย inย Augustย 2025.
During the trial, applicants could be asked to pay bonds of 5,000, 10,000 or 15,000 dollars. Under the finalized rule, the lowest tier has been scrapped, while the 10,000- and 15,000-dollar levels remain. A new maximum bond of 20,000 dollars has been introduced.
Africanย countriesย affected
Thirtyย ofย theย 50ย countriesย coveredย byย theย programย areย inย Africa,ย includingย Uganda,ย Ethiopia,ย Mozambiqueย andย Zimbabwe.
The measure means eligible applicants from those countries may be required to provide a refundable financial guarantee before obtaining visas for business or touri๐ฌm, depending on an assessment by U.S. consular officers.
Aimย andย concerns
The State Department said the program is designed to reduce visa overstays, citing results from the pilot phase that it said demonstrated the bond requirement encouraged compliance with U.S. immigrati๐จn rules.
However, immigration observers and tourism advocates argue the higher deposits could place travel beyond thereach of many prospective visitors, particularly from lower-income countries. They also warn the policy could reduce international tourism and affect businesses in U.S. destinations that rely heavily on foreign travelers.
ยฉ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ.๐๐จ๐ฆ/๐๐๐๐ข๐จ/๐๐
