The United States permanently requires certain business and tourist visa applicants from 50 countries, most of them in Africa, to post bonds of up to USD20,000 (Ksh2.6 million) before travelling, after officials concluded that a year-long pilot programme helped reduce visa overstays.
The new rule, which takes effect today, raises the maximum bond from USD15,000 (Ksh1.9 million) under the pilot programme introduced in August 2025 to USD20,000 and removes the previous minimum bond option of USD5,000 (Ksh644,823).
It applies to applicants seeking B1 and B2 visitor visas, with the State Department indicating that additional countries could be added to the program in the future.
Under the policy, affected applicants must pay the bond before attending their visa interview. The money is refunded if the application is denied or, if the visa is granted, once the traveller complies with the terms of their stay in the United States.
“This rule finalises the temporary final rule that went into effect on August 20, 2025, which launched a 12-month-long Visa Bond Pilot Programme and establishes a permanent visa bond program,” the US Department of State said in a notice.
“An alien applying for a visa as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) may be required to submit a bond to ensure that the alien maintains his or her nonimmigrant status and departs as required. Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to USD20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.”
The US State Department travel website published African countries affected as follows; Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The programme also covers 20 countries and territories in other regions: Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cuba, Dominica, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Venezuela.
The list may be updated on a rolling basis, with newly added countries receiving 15 days’ notice before the requirement applies, while countries removed from the program will no longer be subject to the bond requirement immediately.
The Department’s review of the pilot programme found a significant reduction in visa overstays among participating countries.
According to the department, nearly 45,500 visitors from the 50 countries overstayed their visas in 2024, while fewer than 50 overstays were recorded during the first 10 months of the pilot programme.
The review also found that the programme affected far more applicants than initially anticipated. While the State Department had projected that about 2,000 people would be required to post a bond, roughly 20,000 applicants ultimately fell under the requirement.
Nearly half chose not to pay the bond, contributing to an 83% decline in the number of business and tourist visas issued to citizens of the affected countries.
The visa bond programme was introduced last year as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to curb illegal immigration by discouraging visa overstays.
According to the US government, locating, arresting and deporting a visitor who overstays a visa costs about $18,000 (Ksh2.3 million) per person.
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