By: Hector A. Chichoni, Esq.
The U.S. Department of State announced a 12-month Visa Bond Pilot Program on August 5, 2025, which will affect certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants. This pilot program is set to take effect on August 20, 2025, and will continue until August 5, 2026.
There is a lot we do not know about the program at this stage, and currently, its scope is quite limited. That said, the program has the potential to expand very quickly. An expansion would be more efficient if it were directed to classes of visa applicants rather than to countries, or both. For some applicants, placing a bond could be convenient to overcome past issues or mistrust at particular U.S. Consulates. The bond could, for example, provide insurance to a U.S. Consulate that an applicant, a spouse of U.S. citizens applying for an immigrant visa, will return to the country of citizenship after a short visit to the U.S. if given a B-2 visa. This could be significant because it would diminish the long separations created by the immigrant process. But even if expanded, we expect the requirement of a bond to create delays. Moreover, for B-1 business visitor visa applicants, specifically, placing a bond would be rather inconvenient and disruptive.
The Visa Bond Pilot Program targets B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism) visa applicants who are nationals of countries identified by the Department of State based on specific criteria.
Consular officers may require certain B-1/B-2 applicants to post a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 as a condition for receiving a visa. The specific amount is determined at the visa interview, which will certainly add waiting time to the application process.
The bond is refundable upon the visa holder’s timely departure from the U.S. and compliance with all visa terms and conditions. Failure to comply will result in forfeiture of the bond.
Travelers subject to the bond requirement must enter and exit the U.S. through specifically designated international airports, which are Boston Logan (BOS), John F. Kennedy (JFK), or Washington Dulles (IAD).
The visas issued under this program will be valid for a single entry within three months of issuance, and Customs and Border Protection officers may limit the admission period to a maximum of 30 days.
The U.S. Department of State characterizes the program as a “diplomatic tool” to encourage foreign governments to reduce visa overstay rates among their nationals, improve screening and vetting procedures, and address issues related to Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs lacking residency requirements.
Countries initially affected are Malawi and Zambia. These countries are identified as subject to the Visa Bond Pilot Program, based on their high B1/B2 overstay rates, according to the Department of State. The Department of State has also indicated that this list may be amended throughout the pilot program, with at least 15 days’ notice provided before changes are implemented.
As we understand it, the Visa Bond Pilot Program’s primary goal is to assess the operational feasibility of implementing visa bonds as a mechanism to address overstay concerns and encourage greater compliance with visa terms. The data collected during the program will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of visa bonds in reducing overstays and inform future decisions regarding their potential broader use as a diplomatic tool.
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