WASHINGTON — Federal officials announced Wednesday they will expand visa bond requirements to include citizens from 12 additional nations, requiring deposits of up to $15,000 for U.S. visa applications.
Beginning April 2, individuals holding passports from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia must provide these financial guarantees when seeking American visas. The bonds are returned if visa requests are rejected or if approved travelers comply with their visa conditions.
This information was published on the State Department’s official website Wednesday.
Following the April implementation date, citizens from 50 nations will face these bond requirements. The Trump administration launched this program in recent years as part of broader efforts to address visa violations and reduce unauthorized immigration.
The initiative targets countries with elevated overstay statistics, particularly several African nations. Depending on individual situations and consular officer judgment, applicants must secure bonds valued at $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.
“The visa bond program has already proven effective at drastically reducing the number of visa recipients who overstay their visas and illegally remain in the United States,” department officials stated, noting that nearly 97% of approximately 1,000 bond-posting individuals have complied with their visa terms.
