Washington, Aug 5: The US Department of State has announced it will begin a one-year pilot program commencing on August 20, 2025, allowing consular officers to require security bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 from some applicants for B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) visas. In practice, officers will generally start at the $10,000 level â refunding the bond if the visa holder leaves the US on time in full compliance with the visa terms.Under a Federal Register notice, visas from countries flagged for high overstay rates or insufficient screening practices, as judged by the Department of State, may trigger the bond requirement. Although specific countries have not been officially published, cited examples include Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, Yemen, and several African nations such as Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo, based on the Customs and Border Protection data (CBP) from fiscal year 2023.
The program is similar to that of the one launched in November 2020 during Trump’s presidency, but never fully implemented due to steep travel declines amid the COVID19 pandemic.
The Pilot Program will enable the Department to assess the operational feasibility of posting, processing, and discharging visa bonds, in coordination with the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and to inform any future decision concerning the possible use of visa bonds to ensure non-immigrants using these visa categories comply with the terms and conditions of their visas and timely depart the United States,â it states.
This initiative corresponds with broader immigration enforcement under President Trump, including a travel ban, stepped-up border security, and tightened visa screening. The administrationâs broader policies have already contributed to a sharp 20% drop in travel from Canada and Mexico and transatlantic airfare returns to pre-pandemic levels. In addition to the bond pilot, a $250 âvisa integrity feeâ which is refundable for those who exit the US on time, is set to take effect on October 1, as part of wider congressional measures to curb nonimmigrant visa abuses.