US Makes Visa Bond Program Permanent, Allowing Refundable Deposits of Up to $20,000 for Certain Visitors
August 5, 2026 — The United States has officially made its Visa Bond Program permanent, allowing U.S. consular officers to require certain applicants for B1/B2 visitor visas to post a refundable bond of up to $20,000 before a visa is issued.
The new regulation took effect on August 5, 2026, following its publication in the Federal Register. The policy applies only to applicants from designated countries and does not affect all visa applicants.
Under the program, consular officers may require eligible applicants to pay a refundable bond as a condition for receiving a visitor visa. The bond serves as a financial guarantee that travelers will comply with the terms of their visa, including departing the United States before their authorized stay expires.
If a traveler follows all visa conditions and leaves the U.S. as required, the bond will be fully refundable. Failure to comply with visa conditions could result in the forfeiture of the bond, subject to applicable U.S. regulations.
Countries Currently Covered by the Visa Bond Program
The current list of countries includes:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bangladesh
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Botswana
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Central African Republic
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kyrgyz Republic
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mongolia
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- Papua New Guinea
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Notably, Pakistan is not included in the current list of countries subject to the U.S. Visa Bond Program.
The policy specifically targets certain B1/B2 visitor visa applicants from designated countries and does not automatically require every applicant from those countries to post a bond. Instead, U.S. consular officers have the discretion to determine when a bond is appropriate based on the regulations governing the program.
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