State Department Expands Visa Bonds to Combat Illegal Overstays

State Dept Press Releases

Published March 18th, 2026

Detected March 19th, 2026

Summary

The State Department is expanding its visa bond program to include 12 additional countries, bringing the total to 50. Effective April 2, 2026, nationals from these countries will be required to post a $15,000 bond for B1/B2 visas to combat illegal overstays. This expansion aims to reduce overstay rates and save taxpayer dollars.

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What changed

The State Department announced the expansion of its visa bond program, effective April 2, 2026, to include 12 additional countries, bringing the total to 50. Foreign nationals from these countries will be required to post a $15,000 bond when applying for B1 or B2 visas for business and tourism. The program has demonstrated a 97% compliance rate among bonded travelers, significantly reducing illegal overstays compared to the over 44,000 visitors from these countries who overstayed in the previous year. This initiative is projected to save U.S. taxpayers up to $800 million annually by preventing costly removals.

Regulated entities, particularly those involved in facilitating international travel or business, should be aware of this policy change. While the primary impact is on foreign nationals applying for visas, companies that sponsor business visitors or engage in international trade may need to advise their foreign counterparts. Compliance officers should ensure that any employees or partners from the affected countries are informed of the new bond requirement when planning travel to the U.S. No specific actions are required from U.S. entities, but awareness of the policy is crucial for international business operations.

What to do next

Inform foreign nationals from affected countries about the new $15,000 visa bond requirement for B1/B2 visas.
Advise business partners and employees from the 50 designated countries of the upcoming policy change.

Penalties

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State Department Expands Visa Bonds to Combat Illegal Overstay Rates

Fact Sheet

Office of the Spokesperson

March 18, 2026

The State Department is expanding its visa bond program to apply to a total of 50 countries on April 2 and will require foreign nationals from these countries to post a bond of $15,000 before receiving B1 or B2 visas for business and tourism in the United States. The bond will be returned to visa recipients who return home in compliance with the terms of the visa and the bond or does not travel.

Preventing Illegal Visa Overstays: 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.

Nearly 1,000 foreigners have been issued visas under the program, and 97% of bonded travelers have returned home from the United States on time.
By contrast, in Biden’s last year in office, more than 44,000 visitors from the 50 current Visa Bonds countries overstayed.
The State Department’s April 2 action will apply the visa bond policy to 12 additional nations.
The Department may continue to place Visa Bonds on countries based on a range of immigration risk factors.
Saving Taxpayer Dollars: The expanded visa bond program saves the American taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars every year.
It costs the U.S. taxpayer over $18,000 on average to remove an alien illegally present in the United States.
The Department of State is saving U.S. taxpayers up to $800 million per year that would otherwise be required to remove these aliens who overstay.
Nations Included in the Visa Bond Program:

The new countries included in the visa bond program are Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia.

These countries join 38 nations that are already included in the visa bond program. Those countries are Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.