The United States has made its visa-bond programme permanent, requiring some visitors to post bonds of up to $20,000. Here is how the rule works.

The final rule took effect on August 3, 2026. It applies to B-1 business and B-2 tourist visa applicants who are nationals of 50 designated countries, 30 of them in Africa.

A consular officer may set the bond at $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000, with $15,000 as the default. The pilot programme’s $5,000 tier was dropped and the maximum raised from $15,000.

The bond is paid through DHS Form I-352 on Pay.gov. Bonded travellers must enter and leave the US through a commercial airport or a CBP preclearance location.

The money is refunded if the traveller leaves on time or files a timely extension or change of status. It is forfeited in full on overstay.

During the year-long pilot, fewer than 50 travellers from the covered countries overstayed, compared with 45,488 in fiscal 2024. Visa issuance from those countries fell about 83 per cent. Officials estimate that finding and removing one overstayer costs about $18,000.