The U.S. Department of State has announced the launch of a new Visa Bond Pilot Program, requiring certain applicants for B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visas to post bonds of up to $15,000 as a condition of receiving a visa. The temporary final rule was published on Aug. 5, and will remain in effect for 12 months, through August 5, 2026.
B-1/B-2 visas are issued to foreign nationals traveling temporarily to the United States for business (B-1) or tourism and pleasure (B-2).
The program applies to applicants from countries identified by the State Department as having high visa overstay rates, inadequate screening and vetting systems, or Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs that offer citizenship without residency requirements. The list of covered countries will be posted on Travel.State.Gov at least 15 days before implementation, with changes announced on a rolling basis.
The pilot stems from President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14159, titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” The order directed the Secretaries of the Treasury, State, and Homeland Security to implement a system to administer visa bonds under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Consular officers may require bonds in one of three tiers — $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 — based on the applicant’s financial means, purpose of travel, and perceived risk of overstaying. Applicants will be informed of the bond requirement during their visa interview and must pay the bond within 30 days through the Pay.Gov portal using Form I-352. The Department of the Treasury will hold the funds in an account managed for the Department of Homeland Security.
The State Department had previously discouraged consular officers from requiring bonds, citing administrative challenges. While the authority to require visa bonds under Section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act has existed for decades, it has been rarely used. A similar pilot announced in 2020 was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and never implemented.
The current pilot is designed to assess the operational feasibility of collecting and managing visa bonds and to encourage foreign governments to reduce overstay rates and improve identity verification for their nationals. According to data from the Department of Homeland Security, there were more than 500,000 suspected in-country overstays in fiscal year 2023. Among B-1/B-2 travelers entering by air or sea — excluding Canada, Mexico, and Visa Waiver Program countries — overstays dropped to 314,111 in FY 2023, down from 504,636 in FY 2022.
Applicants covered under the pilot must enter and exit the U.S. through pre-selected airports that can verify their departure. Visas issued under the program will be valid for a single entry within three months, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will generally limit the period of admission to 30 days.
If visa holders comply with the terms of their stay and depart on time, their bond will be canceled and fully refunded. Failure to comply will result in forfeiture of the bond. There is no formal waiver process for applicants, though consular officers may request one in rare cases involving U.S. government interests or humanitarian needs. The Deputy Assistant Secretary makes final waiver decisions for Visa Services.
The State Department estimates that approximately 2,000 applicants may be subject to the bond requirement during the 12-month pilot, totaling an estimated $20 million in bond deposits. All bonds will remain in effect until either canceled or breached, even after the pilot ends.
Social media user John Conley took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to respond to the new visa bond requirements.
“America is acting more and more like North Korea,” said Conley. “Soon, no one will want to come in and no one will be able to leave.”
