- The State Department updated the list of 50 countries requiring visa bonds for B-1 and B-2 applicants.
- Bond amounts are set at five thousand, ten thousand, or fifteen thousand dollars based on consular interviews.
- Travelers must enter and exit through commercial air ports of entry to ensure automatic bond refunds.
The Department of State has updated its list of 50 countries whose nationals may have to post visa bonds before receiving a B-1 or B-2 visa. The department’s page, last updated May 13, 2026, gives each country’s implementation dates.
The requirement applies to citizens or nationals traveling on passports issued by a listed country. A consular officer must first find the applicant otherwise eligible for a B-1 or B-2 visa.
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The bond does not guarantee visa issuance. Applicants must wait for instructions from a consular officer before submitting Form I-352 or paying any money.
The required amount is $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The officer determines the amount during the visa interview.
Applicants receive a direct payment link through the Treasury Department’s Pay.gov platform. They must not use a third-party website to post the bond.
The list covers countries added in five stages
The country page identifies the following implementation dates:
| Date | Countries |
|---|---|
| August 20, 2025 | Malawi; Zambia |
| October 11, 2025 | The Gambia |
| October 23, 2025 | Mauritania; Sao Tome and Principe; Tanzania |
| January 1, 2026 | Bhutan; Botswana; Central African Republic; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Namibia; Turkmenistan |
| January 21, 2026 | Algeria; Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Bangladesh; Benin; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cote D’Ivoire; Cuba; Djibouti; Dominica; Fiji; Gabon; Kyrgyz Republic; Nepal; Nigeria; Senegal; Tajikistan; Togo; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uganda; Vanuatu; Venezuela; Zimbabwe |
| April 2, 2026 | Cambodia; Ethiopia; Georgia; Grenada; Lesotho; Mauritius; Mongolia; Mozambique; Nicaragua; Papua New Guinea; Seychelles; Tunisia |
The source page lists the program’s legal basis as INA Section 221(g)(3) and the Temporary Final Rule establishing the pilot program. It also says visa overstay rates rely on the B1/B2 overstay rates in the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report.
The dates do not create a separate application process by location. The requirement applies regardless of where the applicant submits the visa application.
Applicants must wait for consular instructions
A consular officer directs an applicant to complete Form I-352 when a bond is required. The applicant then agrees to the bond’s terms through Pay.gov.
Paying early can create a loss. Money paid without a consular officer’s direction will not be returned.
The applicant can pay, but another person may also post the bond. That payee can be a friend, family member, or business associate located inside or outside the applicant’s home country.
The person who pays becomes the obligor. If the terms are not breached, that person receives the refund.
The name on Form I-352 must match the name of the person making the payment. The bond must be paid in U.S. dollars and will be returned in U.S. dollars. Any exchange-rate fluctuation is the obligor’s responsibility.
Bond holders must use commercial air entry points
Bond holders face a separate travel condition after visa issuance. They must enter and leave the United States through designated ports of entry.
The approved locations include all commercial air ports of entry, including CBP preclearance locations. Charter air, general aviation, land, and sea ports of entry are not permitted.
A traveler who ignores that condition could face denied entry or a departure that is not properly recorded. The listed ports take effect immediately under the updated guidance.
The rule follows the travel record, not merely the visa application. A person who applies in a country other than the passport-issuing country remains subject to the bond requirement if the person holds a passport from one of the listed countries.
The government lists three automatic refund situations
The bond is canceled and the money returned automatically when one of three events occurs:
- DHS 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 visa expires.
- The visa holder applies for admission at a U.S. port of entry and is denied admission.
The first condition ties the refund to the authorized period of stay recorded for the individual traveler. Leaving on time is not the only requirement, however. The traveler must also follow the designated-port condition attached to the bond.
The refund goes to the obligor, not necessarily the visa holder. A relative, employer, or other third-party payee therefore controls the return of the deposit when that person posted the bond.
DHS reviews possible breaches
A possible breach begins with DHS records. The agency sends cases to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for a determination of whether the bond terms were violated.
The listed examples include a departure recorded after the authorized stay date. Another involves remaining in the United States beyond that date without leaving.
The review can also involve an application to adjust out of nonimmigrant status, including a claim for asylum.
The bond terms appear on Form I-352 and on Travel.State.Gov. Those terms govern whether the deposit returns automatically or whether the case moves into breach review.
The updated country page gives applicants a date-based way to identify coverage, but the payment decision remains tied to a consular officer’s instruction. A listed nationality alone does not guarantee that a visa will be issued, and a posted bond does not replace the ordinary visa eligibility decision.
