U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The U.S. Department of State is preparing—in a notice to be formally published in the Federal Register on August 5, 2025—to launch a 12‑month pilot program requiring business and tourist visa applicants from selected countries to post a security bond of $5,000, $10,000, or up to $15,000 when applying for a visa. The program is set to take effect on August 20, 2025, fifteen days after publication.
Consular officers will determine bond requirements—most adults are expected to face a $10,000 bond, children $5,000 . Affected applicants must depart via designated ports of entry within their visa timeframe to have the bond refunded; entering within 30 days of visa issuance is required.
According to the State Department, the policy targets nationals of countries with high visa overstay rates, weak internal document security, or those offering citizenship by investment with no residency requirement; some African nations and countries such as Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, Yemen, Burundi, Djibouti, and Togo are expected to be included, though the list could evolve . Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries are exempt, and waivers may be granted in individual cases .
Visa bonds were proposed previously in November 2020 under the Trump administration but were never implemented; the State Department historically discouraged them due to administrative burden and public perception concerns, though it now contends there is no recent evidence supporting those objections .
This initiative aligns with the administration’s broader tightening of visa policies, such as additional in‑person interviews for renewals and stricter passport requirements for the Diversity Visa program.
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