U.S. to Start Visa Bond Rule for Tourists from Some Countries

The U.S. State Department is planning a new rule that may affect many people who want to visit the United States for tourism or business. The rule would require some visa applicants to pay a bond of up to $15,000. This bond would act as a financial guarantee to make sure the visitor leaves the country before their visa expires.

Pilot Program for One Year

This proposal is part of a 12-month trial program. The pilot will apply to citizens of certain countries that the U.S. government believes have high numbers of people who overstay their visas. It will also apply to countries that have weak systems for checking and verifying travel documents.

The U.S. government will test this rule for one year before deciding whether to make it permanent or change it.

Visa Bonds Set at Three Levels

According to the proposal, applicants from selected countries may be asked to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The amount will likely depend on the individual’s background and the level of risk assigned to their country.

If the person follows all the rules of the visa and leaves the U.S. on time, the money will be returned. If not, the U.S. will keep the bond. This is meant to reduce the number of visitors who stay in the country longer than allowed.

When the Rule Will Begin

The bond rule will start 15 days after it is officially published in the Federal Register, which is the U.S. government’s official notice board for new laws and proposals. A preview of the notice was made available on August 4, 2025, and it will be formally published on August 5, 2025.

Once published, the rule will be in effect for one year. After the trial, the government will decide whether to continue, stop, or change the bond requirement.

Who Will Be Affected?

This new rule will affect people who are applying for B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas from countries that the U.S. sees as risky. These may include countries with high visa overstay rates, poor background-checking systems, or countries that sell citizenship to people who do not live there.

A full list of the affected countries has not been released yet. The government said it will share the list when the rule officially starts.

Who Will Not Be Affected?

People from countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) will not be affected by this new bond rule. The VWP allows citizens from 42 countries to travel to the U.S. for business or tourism for up to 90 days without needing a visa. Most of these countries are in Europe, along with a few in Asia and the Middle East.

Also, not every traveler from the selected countries will automatically have to pay the bond. U.S. officers may waive the bond if the applicant has strong ties to their home country or a solid travel history.

Additional Immigration Rules Tightened

This visa bond rule is just one of several steps the U.S. government is taking to tighten its immigration and travel rules.

Just last week, the U.S. State Department said that more people applying to renew their visas would now need to come in for in-person interviews, even if they didn’t need to do so before.

Another new rule requires applicants for the Visa Diversity Lottery to have a valid passport from their country of citizenship when they apply. This rule is meant to prevent people from using fake identities or forged documents.

Why Is the Bond Rule Being Introduced?

The U.S. government wants to reduce the number of people who overstay their visas. Overstaying means staying in the U.S. after your visa has expired.

By asking for a bond, the government hopes that people will follow visa rules more strictly. If they don’t, the bond will be taken as a penalty. Also, it protects the U.S. government from spending money to track or deport such people.

The proposal notice said, “Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure and who are nationals of countries identified by the department as having high visa overstay rates” may have to pay the bond.

It also includes countries where vetting is not strong or that allow people to buy citizenship without living in that country.

Past Proposals on Visa Bonds

This is not the first time the idea of visa bonds has been suggested. In the past, similar proposals were made, but they were not used.

One reason was that collecting and returning the bond money was considered too difficult and complicated. It was also feared that such a rule might create confusion and seem unfriendly to travelers.

In fact, the State Department used to advise against using visa bonds because of these problems. However, in the latest notice, the Department said that those earlier concerns were not based on recent examples or real data.

Concerns About Fairness and Privacy

Some people are concerned that the new rules might unfairly target certain countries or types of travelers. Critics also worry that the bond could make travel to the U.S. too expensive for many honest visitors.

For example, if a person from a selected country needs to pay a $15,000 bond, they might not be able to afford the trip, even if they have no intention of overstaying.

Others have pointed out that asking for bonds, along with more interviews and passport requirements, may also raise privacy and data protection concerns. For example, applicants may feel they are being overly watched or judged based on where they come from.

No Effect on Most Tourists

It is important to note that most tourists and business travelers will not be affected by this new rule. Only people from specific countries with high overstay rates and poor documentation systems are being considered for the bond requirement.

For those from visa waiver countries, or countries with good track records, travel to the U.S. will continue as usual.

Since this is a pilot program, the final decision will depend on how successful it is. The U.S. government will monitor how the bond system works during the 12-month period. If it helps reduce visa overstays and does not cause too many problems, it may become a long-term rule.

If the problems are too big or the system does not work well, the rule may be changed or cancelled. The State Department has not said how it will measure success, but it will likely depend on visa compliance and traveler feedback.