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OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:48 PM – Tuesday, August 5, 2025
The U.S. State Department is launching a nearly 12‑month pilot program, beginning August 20th, requiring some B‑1/B‑2 tourist and business visa applicants from select countries to post refundable bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.
The temporary program will affect foreign nationals from countries with “high visa overstay rates, weak screening or vetting systems,” or those “offering citizenship by investment without residency requirements.”
Program Start Date: August 20, 2025 — Program End Date: August 5, 2026
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The plan coincides with the Trump administration’s tightening of visa application procedures. The State Department revealed last week that many applicants for visa renewals would now need to go through an additional in-person interview, which was previously not necessary. The agency is also suggesting that candidates for the Visa Diversity Lottery program possess current passports from their home nations.
Only Malawi and Zambia have been included so far, with others expected to be added later. The full list will be released at least 15 days before implementation.
Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond in amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, determined at time of visa interview.
The applicant must also submit a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-352 agreeing to the terms of the bond, through the Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform Pay.gov. This requirement applies regardless of place of application.
Consular officers will decide whether an applicant must post a bond, and if so, whether it’s $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 — all based on individual assessments.
If a bond is required, the applicant’s visa application is temporarily halted until payment is made via DHS Form I‑352 on Pay.gov within 30 days. Visas issued under the pilot are valid for a single entry within three months and generally limit admission to 30 days.
Additionally, travelers must enter and exit through designated airports: Boston Logan (BOS), JFK (New York), or Washington Dulles (IAD). Failure to use these ports may result in denied entry or improper departure tracking.
Bonds are fully refundable if the traveler departs on time, does not breach visa conditions, or sues for extension/change of status properly. If the traveler overstays, applies for asylum, or does not meet the conditions, the bond is forfeited.
This is estimated to impact approximately 2,000 applicants during the pilot program, mostly from countries with low travel volumes to the U.S., according to the U.S. Travel Association.
Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries, which includes most of Europe, Australia, Israel, etc., are exempt from the program. These countries have bilateral agreements with the U.S. based on mutual trust, where each country ensures stringent security, identity verification, and information-sharing protocols.
However, some critics have labeled the initiative a “legalized shakedown,” arguing it disproportionately affects poorer travelers.
The program represents a significant shift in visa policy, as it places the financial burden on applicants from certain nations in order to guarantee compliance, while offering incentives to improve vetting and internal screening in those source countries. Nonetheless, it remains a trial, with possible expansions to be determined.
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