The short answer: nationals of 50 countries can be required to post a refundable bond of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 before a U.S. consulate issues a B-1/B-2 business or tourist visa. The State Department made the program permanent on August 3, 2026, and the money comes back in full if you leave on time through a commercial airport.
The permanent rule (91 FR 48757) replaced a 12-month pilot that ran from August 20, 2025, to August 5, 2026. The pilot used lower tiers of $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000. The permanent program dropped the $5,000 option and raised the ceiling to $20,000. Consular officers are told to start at $15,000.
The trigger is your passport, not where you live or apply. A Nigerian citizen interviewing in London faces the same requirement as one interviewing in Lagos. Thirty of the 50 countries are in Africa; the rest are in South and Central Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific. India, Pakistan, Mexico and every Visa Waiver Program country are not on the list.
The bond is not a fee. It is a deposit that the Treasury holds through a U.S. bank acting as its agent, and it pays no interest. You lose it if you overstay, file a late extension request, or apply for asylum. The visa itself still costs the normal application fee on top.
The program has cut travel sharply. The State Department says about 20,000 visa applications were flagged for a bond during the pilot, close to half of those applicants paid, and about $115 million was posted. Visitor visa issuance to the covered countries fell 83 percent in the first 10 months. Overstays from those countries fell from 45,488 in fiscal 2024 to fewer than 50.
This page is VisaVerge’s running hub for the program: the full country list with dates, the amounts, how payment works, the travel conditions, refunds and breaches. Dated news on single countries, such as the first Malawi and Zambia rollout or the 12 countries added in April 2026, stays in our news archive and links back here.
Visa bond countries list (all 50, with start dates)
Every country below has been on the list since the date shown and carried over into the permanent program on August 3, 2026. The officer, not the country, decides which of the three amounts applies to you.
| Country | Region | Bond required since | Possible bond today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Angola | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Caribbean | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Bangladesh | South Asia | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Benin | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Bhutan | South Asia | Jan 1, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Botswana | Africa | Jan 1, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Burundi | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Cabo Verde | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Cambodia | Southeast Asia | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Central African Republic | Africa | Jan 1, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Cote d’Ivoire | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Cuba | Caribbean | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Djibouti | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Dominica | Caribbean | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Ethiopia | Africa | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Fiji | Pacific | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Gabon | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| The Gambia | Africa | Oct 11, 2025 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Georgia | Caucasus | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Grenada | Caribbean | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Guinea | Africa | Jan 1, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Guinea-Bissau | Africa | Jan 1, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Kyrgyz Republic | Central Asia | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Lesotho | Africa | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Malawi | Africa | Aug 20, 2025 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Mauritania | Africa | Oct 23, 2025 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Mauritius | Africa | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Mongolia | East Asia | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Mozambique | Africa | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Namibia | Africa | Jan 1, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Nepal | South Asia | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Nicaragua | Central America | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Nigeria | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Papua New Guinea | Pacific | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Africa | Oct 23, 2025 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Senegal | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Seychelles | Africa | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Tajikistan | Central Asia | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Tanzania | Africa | Oct 23, 2025 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Togo | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Tonga | Pacific | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Tunisia | Africa | Apr 2, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Turkmenistan | Central Asia | Jan 1, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Tuvalu | Pacific | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Uganda | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Vanuatu | Pacific | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Venezuela | South America | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Zambia | Africa | Aug 20, 2025 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
| Zimbabwe | Africa | Jan 21, 2026 | $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000 |
The State Department must post a new country on travel.state.gov at least 15 days before the bond requirement starts for its nationals. A country can be taken off with immediate effect. Countries in the Visa Waiver Program cannot be included at all.
| Effective date | Added | Running total | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 2025 | 2 | 2 | Malawi, Zambia |
| Oct 11, 2025 | 1 | 3 | The Gambia |
| Oct 23, 2025 | 3 | 6 | Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania |
| Jan 1, 2026 | 7 | 13 | Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, Turkmenistan |
| Jan 21, 2026 | 25 | 38 | 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 |
| Apr 2, 2026 | 12 | 50 | Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Tunisia |
| Aug 3, 2026 | 0 | 50 | Permanent rule takes effect; every pilot country carries over |
What changed when the pilot became permanent
The final rule kept the pilot’s structure but moved the money up. It also wrote an automatic inflation adjustment into the regulation: starting October 1, 2027, and every seven years after, the $20,000 maximum will rise with the Consumer Price Index, rounded up to the nearest $1,000.
| Pilot (Aug 20, 2025 to Aug 5, 2026) | Permanent (from Aug 3, 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bond tiers | $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 | $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 |
| Standard amount | Set at interview | $15,000 unless the officer goes lower or higher |
| Inflation adjustment | None | Oct 1, 2027, then every 7 years |
| Bond form | DHS Form I-352 | Updated Form I-352B |
| Ports | Started at 3 airports, widened to all commercial airports | All commercial airports and CBP Preclearance only |
| Countries | Grew from 2 to 50 | Same 50; adds need 15 days notice, removals are immediate |
Confirm the bond applies to you
The requirement covers only B-1 business visitors, B-2 tourists and combined B-1/B-2 visas. Students, workers, exchange visitors and immigrant visa applicants are outside it, even from listed countries.
It also only bites if you are otherwise eligible. The officer first decides your visa application as usual. If you are refused for another reason, such as weak home ties under section 214(b), the bond never comes into play. Prepare for the interview the normal way; our B-1/B-2 interview questions guide covers what officers ask.
At the interview: the officer sets the amount
If you qualify and your passport is from a listed country, the officer tells you a bond is required and names the amount. The rule tells officers to set $15,000 by default. They drop to $10,000 when you could not pay $15,000 but can still fund the trip, and go up to $20,000 when your circumstances, such as close contacts in the United States, suggest $15,000 would not keep you from overstaying.
The officer then refuses the visa under INA section 221(g) while the bond is pending, and gives you a written notice. That refusal is lifted once the bond is posted. It works like any other 221(g) administrative processing hold.
| Bond, lower tier (applicant cannot pay $15,000 but can fund the trip) | $10,000 |
| Bond, standard tier (the default) | $15,000 |
| Bond, top tier ($15,000 judged not enough, for example close U.S. ties) | $20,000 |
| Interest paid on the bond when it is returned | $0 |
| Refund if you comply with every condition | Full principal |
There is no form to apply for a waiver. The Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs can waive the bond for a person, a country or a category, usually for U.S. government travel or urgent humanitarian needs, and only when a consular officer recommends it. A September 16, 2026 notice delegated that power to two deputies in Consular Affairs.
Pay through the link the consulate sends
The consulate emails or writes to you, using the contact details on your visa application, with a link to the Treasury’s Visa Bond Program payment platform (Pay.gov). Through that link you sign the DHS bond form and pay. Pay only in U.S. dollars, electronically, and for the full amount. Depending on your country, the options can include ACH, international wire, digital wallets and cards.
Someone else can pay on your behalf: a relative, an employer or a host. Whoever pays becomes the obligor, receives the bond paperwork and gets the refund. Card processing fees and bank exchange charges fall on the payer and are not refunded. Settlement can take several business days, so the consulate may not act the same day.
- A consular officer told you, at or after your interview, that a bond is required and how much
- The payment link came from the consulate, using the contact details on your DS-160
- The payer can receive a refund in U.S. dollars to the same card or account
- You have budgeted for bank, card or exchange fees, which are not refunded
- Your flights in and out use commercial airports, not a land border or cruise
Get the visa and travel only by commercial air
Once the bond posts and the officer confirms you are still eligible, the visa is issued with an annotation showing the bond. Validity is shorter than usual: three months single entry, three months multiple entry, or up to 12 months multiple entry, depending on reciprocity with your country.
You must enter and leave the United States through a commercial airport, including CBP Preclearance airports abroad such as those in Canada. Land borders, seaports, cruises, charter flights and private aviation are not allowed. A side trip to Canada or Mexico is allowed under automatic visa revalidation, but your final departure must be from a commercial U.S. airport.
CBP still decides how long you can stay on arrival. The date that counts for the bond is the one on your I-94 record, not the visa’s expiry date. Our guide to the I-94 admit-until date explains how to check it.
Leave on time and the bond is cancelled
Refunds are automatic. DHS departure data tells the Treasury’s agent that you complied, the bond is cancelled, and the principal goes back in U.S. dollars to the original payment method. You also receive an Immigration Bond Cancelation Notice. The refund can be reduced through the Treasury Offset Program if the payer owes a federal debt.
- The visa expires and you never travelled to the United States
- You left on time through a commercial airport and were outside the U.S. when the visa expired
- Your visa expired during your stay and you then left on time through a commercial airport
- CBP refused you entry at the port and cancelled the visa
- USCIS approved an extension or change of status and you left by the new date through a commercial airport
If you got the visa but decided not to travel, you can ask for an early refund by booking an appointment at a consulate outside the United States. The officer checks that you never entered, physically cancels the visa, and then the bond is cancelled.
What makes you lose the bond
An automated review flags possible violations and sends them to the Department of Homeland Security, which makes the final call and notifies the payer in writing. A breach means the entire amount is forfeited.
- Staying past the date on your I-94 admission record
- Staying more than 10 days after USCIS denies a timely extension or change of status
- Filing a late extension of stay or a late change of status request
- Filing for asylum or other protection on Form I-589
- Substantially violating your status, including unauthorized work
Filing a timely extension or change of status is not itself a breach, but USCIS may count the bond against you when it decides the request. Overstaying carries consequences beyond the bond; see whether overstaying is a crime or a civil violation. Breach decisions can be appealed under 8 CFR 103.3, following the instructions on the bond form.
The FIFA World Cup waiver (now over)
For the 2026 World Cup, the State Department waived the bond for athletes, coaches, support staff and their immediate relatives from competing countries, and for fans from competing countries who bought tickets and opted in to FIFA’s PASS appointment system by April 15, 2026. The tournament ended in July 2026, so the waiver no longer helps new applicants. Our World Cup bond waiver report has the details.
Common mistakes
What to watch next
Three things to watch. Any new country gets at least 15 days of notice on travel.state.gov, and VisaVerge will add it to the table above the day it is posted. DHS has only a six-month emergency approval for the new Form I-352B and is taking public comment on it, so expect a further notice on the form. The first automatic inflation increase to the $20,000 ceiling arrives on October 1, 2027.
Several governments on the list, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Antigua and Barbuda and the Kyrgyz Republic, have raised the requirement with Washington and asked for it to be reviewed or lifted. Removal takes effect immediately, so a country can drop off without warning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which countries require a US visa bond in 2026?
Fifty countries: 30 in Africa, such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Senegal, plus Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia, Mongolia, Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Nicaragua, four Caribbean states including Cuba, and five Pacific nations including Fiji and Papua New Guinea. The list has not changed since April 2, 2026.
How much is the US visa bond?
Under the permanent rule effective August 3, 2026, the bond is $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000. Officers start at $15,000, drop to $10,000 if you cannot pay that but can fund the trip, and raise it to $20,000 if $15,000 would not ensure you leave. The pilot’s $5,000 tier no longer exists.
Is the visa bond refundable?
Yes. The full principal is returned, without interest, to the original payment method in U.S. dollars if you never travel, leave by your I-94 date through a commercial airport, or are refused entry by CBP. Bank, card and exchange fees are not refunded, and a federal debt owed by the payer can reduce it.
Is India or Pakistan on the visa bond list?
No. Neither India nor Pakistan is among the 50 countries as of October 10, 2026. Neighbouring Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal are covered. Visa Waiver Program countries can never be added, and any new country must be announced on travel.state.gov at least 15 days before the bond applies.
How do I pay the US visa bond?
Only after a consular officer tells you a bond is required. The consulate sends a direct link to the Treasury payment platform, Pay.gov, where you sign the DHS bond form (Form I-352, updated as I-352B) and pay the full amount electronically in U.S. dollars. A relative or employer may pay for you and then receives the refund.
What happens to the visa bond if I overstay or apply for asylum?
You forfeit the entire bond. Staying past your I-94 date, staying more than 10 days after an extension denial, filing a late extension or change of status, or filing Form I-589 for asylum are all breaches. DHS makes the final decision and notifies the payer, who can appeal under 8 CFR 103.3.
Can I enter the US by land with a visa bond?
No. Bonded visa holders must enter and leave through commercial airports, including CBP Preclearance airports. Land borders, seaports, cruises, charter and private flights are not allowed. A side trip to Canada or Mexico is permitted, but your final departure must be from a commercial U.S. airport.
Can the visa bond be waived?
There is no waiver application. The Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, or since September 16, 2026 two delegated deputies, can waive it for a person, country or category on a consular officer’s recommendation, usually for U.S. government travel or urgent humanitarian needs. The 2026 World Cup waiver has ended.
