Visiting the US can quickly become more expensive for some travelers.
The State Department has announced a 12-month pilot program that requires travelers from certain countries with high visa disclosure rates to list refundable bonds as a condition for issuing Visa. Bonds range from $5,000 to $15,000.
News of the trial period appeared on August 5th in the federal register, the official daily publication of the US government. The notification does not yet list the countries covered by the program, but it may be added or removed in order when the program starts on August 20, 2025.
As per the notice, the amounts that the applicant is required to pay are “based on the applicant’s circumstances as determined by the consul officer, but on an amount of over $5,000 unless exempt from the bond requirements.” Anyone leaving the US before the visa expires will receive a refund of the bond, but will not lose the bond amount.
Similarly, those who do not comply with the terms of the visa (for example, they do unauthorized jobs) will not be able to return their funds. Once the program is launched, travelers who are part of the pilot will be allowed to only enter and leave designated US airports.
Over 300,000 foreigners stayed in the United States during fiscal year 2023 after the tourism or business visa ended. This is some of the highest overstay rates attributed to people in Chad, Laos, Haiti and the Congolese, according to an August 2024 report from the Department of Homeland Security.
42 citizens, primarily of European countries and territories, as well as citizens of Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand, Qatar, South Korea and Singapore, are part of the visa waiver program (enable to visit the US for up to 90 days for visa-free tourism and business).
The pilot program will revive similar efforts introduced in 2020. The original programme would have primarily targeted individuals from 23 countries in Africa.
Historically, the US State Department has discouraged the use of visa bonds by citing the cumbersome processes of bond posting, processing and emissions. However, the current administration sees the pilot program as a necessary step to address national security concerns and encourage foreign governments to improve screening and review procedures.
The added bonds will be led next year’s horizon by what we expect to be busy with America’s 250th birthday and the 2026 FIFA World Cup (where the US is working with Canada and Mexico) and our inbound trips, which are our 250th birthday and our 2026 FIFA World Cup. Critics have warned that measures, such as bond fees, could have a negative impact on tourism, coupled with other inbound travel policies.
In a statement shared with Afar, Erik Hansen, the SVP of Government Relations for the US Travel Association, said the scope of the Visa bond program appears to be limited.
“We are most interested in the $250 visa integrity fee recently enacted by Congress, which will apply to all non-immigrant visa categories and applicants,” Hansen said. “If this fee is implemented, the US will have one of the highest visitor visa fees in the world, if not the best. If we maintain a competitive position in the global travel market, it is important that US visa policies reflect both national security priorities and the important economic value of international visits.”
