US makes visa bond permanent for 50 countries, raises cap to USD 20,000

The US has made its visa bond programme permanent for citizens of 50 countries and raised the cap to USD 20,000. The move signals tougher scrutiny of visitors from poorer nations even as officials cite fewer overstays.The US State Department is making permanent a pilot programme that requires citizens of 50 countries, mainly in Africa, to post a bond before applying for certain US visas. It is also raising the maximum bond amount to USD 20,000.A draft notice published on Friday in the Federal Register said a review of nearly a year "provided sufficient data" to show that the programme helped enforce compliance with visa conditions. The notice is due to be formally released on Monday, when the programme becomes permanent, and more countries may be added to the list.Under the programme, passport holders from the affected countries must pay the bond to be interviewed for US business and tourist visas, known as B1 and B2 visas. The bond is refunded if the visa application is denied or, if the visa is granted, if the traveller follows the visa terms.The pilot programme, introduced by the Trump administration last August, had set the maximum bond at USD 15,000, with lower amounts of USD 5,000 and USD 10,000 at the discretion of a consular officer. The final rule raises the maximum to USD 20,000 and removes the USD 5,000 lower-end payment. The administration had launched the measure as part of efforts to curb visa overstays and illegal migration. The government estimates that arresting and deporting visitors who overstay their visas costs about USD 18,000 per person. State Department officials have described the programme as a success. According to the notice, nearly 45,500 visitors from the 50 countries in the programme overstayed their visas in 2024. It said that in the first 10 months of the pilot visa bond programme, the number of overstays from those countries was fewer than 50.Critics have said the policy places an unnecessarily harsh burden on people from poorer countries who want to visit family members or pursue education or business opportunities in the US. Government projections had initially estimated that about 2,000 visa applicants would be required to post the bond, but the State Department later found that roughly 20,000 applicants were covered by the requirement. Nearly half of those applicants chose not to pay the bond, and there was an 83 per cent drop in the number of business and tourist visas issued to citizens of countries on the list. "The department expects that this final rule will contribute to the continued reduction of demand for B1/B2 visa applications from nationals of countries subject to the programme," the notice said. In effect, the US has made the bond scheme permanent, increased the cost and said it may widen the list of affected countries.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 1, 2026 00:28 IST