Travellers may need $15,000 bond to enter US under new visa rule
New rule: US to reinstate $15,000 visa bond for some visitors
DUBAI: The United States is reviving a visa bond requirement of up to $15,000 for certain B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visa applicants, according to a notice published in the Federal Register.
This pilot programme, effective from August 20, 2025, will last for one year and is aimed at curbing visa overstays. The move echoes a similar policy announced during the final months of Donald Trump’s first term, which was suspended due to the global travel slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The State Department will target visitors from countries identified as having high visa overstay rates, or deficient vetting and screening systems. The visa bond – refundable upon timely departure – is one of several recent efforts to tighten immigration controls.
What will change?
Travellers from selected countries may be required to pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, depending on individual assessments by US consular officers. Though officers already have the authority to impose visa bonds, such measures have been rarely enforced. This programme is expected to test the practicality of requiring deposits as a compliance tool.
The bond will be requested in addition to standard visa application fees. The decision to impose it will be made during the consular interview, with officers guided by criteria including the applicant’s travel history and risk assessment.
Who will be affected?
While the State Department has not yet published the list of affected countries, it confirmed that the selection would be based on recent overstay data and screening deficiencies. The list will be released at least 15 days before implementation. According to Reuters, countries such as Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, and Yemen – which were also part of Trump’s travel ban – are among those with higher overstay rates. African nations including Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo may also fall under the scope.
An estimated 2,000 applicants are expected to be impacted, primarily from countries with low travel volumes to the US. The bond requirement also ties in with concerns over citizenship-by-investment schemes without residency requirements, often seen as lacking proper identity verification.
How will it work?
Applicants required to pay the bond will need to travel via designated US airports, which the State Department will announce in advance. Those who adhere to the conditions of their visa and depart before expiry will receive a full refund. Those who overstay forfeit the amount.
The bond amount – determined case by case – will generally be no less than $10,000, as per the notice. The purpose is to test whether the financial deterrent reduces non-compliance and to assess whether implementing such bonds on a wider scale is feasible.
In addition, a $250 "visa integrity fee" has been introduced by the US Congress, effective from October 1, 2025, for non-immigrant visa holders. This fee, potentially refundable, adds to the financial burden of those travelling under the new regulations.
The US Travel Association has voiced concern, warning that the added costs could hinder international tourism and make US visa fees among the highest globally.