The U.S. Department of State on Monday announced a year-long visa bond pilot program that could require visitors from certain countries to post bonds of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance. The bonds would be for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism) visas.
On Tuesday, the department announced that the countries currently identified as subject to visa bonds include Malawi and Zambia, "based on their B-1/B-2 overstay rate per the Department of Homeland Security's FY 2023 Overstay Report."
The amount of the bond could be $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, determined at the time of the visa interview, according to the State Department. The applicant also must submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 agreeing to the terms of the bond.
The pilot is set to begin Aug. 20 and continue through Aug. 5, 2026.
Applicants should submit the I-352 form only if directed to do so by a consular officer, according to the State Department. "A bond does not guarantee visa issuance, and if any individual pays fees without being directed to do so by a consular officer, that money will not be returned."
In addition, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must arrive in and depart from the U.S. via Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York or Washington Dulles International Airport. The full visa bond amount will be returned to the applicant if they comply with all the terms of the nonimmigrant visa status and with the terms of the visa bond, according to the State Department.
The visa bond pilot comes on the heels of a new $250 "visa integrity fee" that will be added to most nonimmigrant visa applications, and the increase of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization fee for Visa Waiver Program travelers to $40 from $21, per the bill signed into law on July 4. The U.S. visa website does not mention the ESTA fee increase, nor does it clarify information about the visa integrity fee, including the date it would take effect and stipulations as to who would be required to pay it.