Kamal Ghorui
The United States will require visa applicants from 12 additional countries to pay a refundable bond of up to $15,000, expanding a policy aimed at reducing overstays by short-term visitors.According to a recent update, the rule applies to applicants seeking B1 and B2 visas, which cover business and tourism travel. The bond amount will vary between $5,000 and $15,000 depending on the applicant’s profile and country of origin. The measure is set to take effect from April 2, 2026.The latest expansion adds countries including Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Tunisia and Papua New Guinea, among others. With this change, the policy will now apply to around 50 countries in total.The US government has said the bond system is designed to ensure compliance with visa conditions. Applicants who follow the terms of their stay, including leaving the country before their visa expires, will receive the full amount back. Those who violate visa conditions, such as overstaying, risk forfeiting the bond.The programme targets countries that US authorities have identified as having relatively higher rates of visa overstays. Officials have not announced any changes to the criteria used to determine which countries are included.The bond requirement does not apply to all travellers from the listed countries. Consular officers retain discretion to decide when to impose the bond as part of the visa process. This means some applicants may not be asked to pay it, while others may face the full amount.The policy builds on an earlier expansion announced in January 2026, when additional countries were brought under the same requirement. At the time, officials said the move was to tighten immigration controls while maintaining legal pathways for travel in US under the Trump administration.There has been no indication that the rule will be extended to countries such as India, which are not part of the current list.
