The U.S. Department of State has identified nationals from 50 countries as needing visa bonds under a temporary pilot program that now affects visitor visa (B-1/B-2) applicants worldwide. The most recent expansion, announced March 18, 2026, added twelve countries—Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia—effective April 2, 2026. The program began with 2 countries (Malawi and Zambia) in August 2025; added 4 more in October 2025; added 32 more in January 2026; and added 12 more in March 2026.
What changed
Visa Bond requirements are outlined in INA Section 221(g)(3) and the Temporary Final Rule (TFR) establishing the pilot program, based on B1/B2 overstay rates per the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report. Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. Bond conditions are met if the visa holder either departs on or before the authorized stay date, does not travel to the U.S. before visa expiration, or applies to adjust status out of nonimmigrant status (including asylum).
Applicants must agree to the bond terms through the Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform Pay.gov, submit Form I-352 only after a consular officer directs them to do so, receive a direct link to pay through Pay.gov, and must not use any third-party website for posting the bond. A bond does not guarantee visa issuance, and if someone pays fees without a consular officer’s direction, the fees will not be returned.
As a condition of the bond, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must enter and exit the United States through designated ports of entry (all commercial air ports of entry, including CBP preclearance locations, but not charter air, general aviation, land, or sea ports of entry).
The bond will be canceled and the money returned automatically if the Department of Homeland Security records the visa holder’s departure on or before the authorized stay date, the visa holder does not travel to the United States before the expiration of the visa, or the visa holder applies for and is denied admission at the U.S. port of entry.
As part of President Trump’s commitment to the FIFA World Cup 2026™, the Administration waived the visa bond requirement for athletes and team members (including coaches, support personnel, and immediate relatives) who are nationals of competing countries and meet all visa requirements. The bond will also be waived for nationals of competing countries who by April 15 purchased FIFA World Cup tickets and opted in to the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (PASS) through the FIFA website and are otherwise fully eligible.
Why it matters
This measure aims at reducing visa overstays in the United States by requiring certain travelers to post a refundable bond, creating a financial incentive to follow visa rules. Visas issued under the pilot program are valid for three months and a single entry to the United States, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will admit these visa holders for a maximum stay of 30 days in most cases.
For practitioners advising clients from affected countries:
- Bond cost is material: At $5,000–$15,000 per applicant, the bond becomes a legitimate cost-of-travel consideration that clients will factor into trip budgets.
- Consular discretion: A consular officer determines the bond amount based on applicant circumstances, and applicants cannot appeal or request a lower tier.
- Port-of-entry lock: Clients must arrive and depart via commercial airports only (Boston Logan, JFK, Washington Dulles, Newark, Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles, Toronto Pearson, and Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau—which has since expanded). Missing a designated port can result in denied entry or an unrecorded departure, jeopardizing the refund.
- Overstay forfeiture: Any failure to depart by the authorized stay date, or any adjustment of status or asylum claim while in B-1/B-2 status, triggers forfeiture of the entire bond amount.
- No prior visa waiver: Even clients with a clean travel history and prior B-1/B-2 approvals may be required to post a bond on subsequent applications if they hold a passport from a designated country.
Way forward
- Verify country list: Check the State Department’s visa bonds page to confirm whether your client’s nationality is on the current list (50 countries as of June 2026, subject to rolling updates).
- Budget for bond: Advise clients that if subject to the requirement, they must budget $5,000–$15,000 upfront, payable only via Pay.gov after consular direction, and allow time for post-trip refund processing (typically several weeks after DHS records departure).
- Plan itinerary for designated ports: Ensure clients understand they must arrive and depart through a commercial air port of entry; ground, sea, charter, and general aviation crossings are prohibited and will disqualify the refund.
- Document departure compliance: Coach clients that DHS relies on automated entry/exit systems to trigger refunds; encourage clients to retain boarding passes and departure records to confirm timely exit.
- Monitor for changes: The State Department reserves the right to change the list of countries and says it will provide at least 15 days’ notice before making changes. The pilot runs until August 5, 2026; renewal or expansion is possible.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for educational purposes and is not legal advice. It summarizes policy from the U.S. Department of State’s travel.state.gov website. Fola (articles.folaform.com) is a software and information service, not a law firm, and this content does not create an attorney-client relationship. Do not rely on this article as your sole source for visa bond compliance; consult a licensed immigration attorney in your jurisdiction to discuss your specific circumstances. Immigration policy changes frequently and without notice; always verify current requirements against the primary source linked above before advising a client or submitting an application.