• TravelBizNews > Main News > USA visa bond policy : citizens of 38 countries need to deposit  up to $15,000 for visas  

    USA visa bond policy : citizens of 38 countries need to deposit  up to $15,000 for visas  

    January 7, 2026
    Main News
    USA visa bond policy : citizens of 38 countries need to deposit  up to $15,000 for visas  

    WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is nearly tripling the number of countries whose passport holders will be required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States.

    Less than a week after adding seven countries to the list of nations subject to visa bonds, bringing the total to 13, the State Department on Tuesday added 25 more. The bond requirement for the latest additions will take effect Jan. 21, according to a notice posted on the travel.state.gov website.

    The move means that 38 countries, most of them in Africa but some in Latin America and Asia, are now on the list, which makes the process of obtaining a U.S. visa unaffordable for many.

    It’s the latest effort by the Trump administration to tighten requirements for entry to the U.S., including requiring citizens from all countries that require visas to sit for in-person interviews and disclose years of social media histories as well as detailed accounts of their and their families’ previous travel and living arrangements.

    U.S. officials have defended the bonds, which can range from $5,000 up to $15,000, maintaining they are effective in ensuring that citizens of targeted countries do not overstay their visas.

    Payment of the bond does not guarantee a visa will be granted, but the amount will be refunded if the visa is denied or when a visa holder demonstrates they have complied with the terms of visa.

    The new countries covered by the visa bond requirement as of Jan. 21 are Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

    They join Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Zambia on the list.

    For more info –

    https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/countries-subject-to-visa-bonds.html

    Countries Subject to Visa Bonds

    The Department of State has identified nationals from these countries as needing visa bonds.  The implementation dates are in parentheses:

    Algeria (January 21, 2026)

    Angola (January 21, 2026)

    Antigua and Barbuda (January 21, 2026)

    Bangladesh (January 21, 2026)

    Benin (January 21, 2026)

    Bhutan (January 1, 2026)

    Botswana (January 1, 2026)

    Burundi (January 21, 2026)

    Cabo Verde (January 21, 2026)

    Central African Republic (January 1, 2026)

    Cote D’Ivorie (January 21, 2026)

    Cuba (January 21, 2026)

    Djibouti (January 21, 2026)

    Dominica (January 21, 2026)

    Fiji (January 21, 2026)

    Gabon (January 21, 2026)

    The Gambia (October 11, 2025)

    Guinea (January 1, 2026)

    Guinea Bissau (January 1, 2026)

    Kyrgyzstan (January 21, 2026)

    Malawi (August 20, 2025)

    Mauritania (October 23, 2025)

    Namibia (January 1, 2026)

    Nepal (January 21, 2026)

    Nigeria (January 21, 2026)

    Sao Tome and Principe (October 23, 2025)

    Senegal (January 21, 2026)

    Tajikistan (January 21, 2026)

    Tanzania (October 23, 2025)

    Togo (January 21, 2026)

    Tonga (January 21, 2026)

    Turkmenistan (January 1, 2026)

    Tuvalu (January 21, 2026)

    Uganda (January 21, 2026)

    Vanuatu (January 21, 2026)

    Venezuela (January 21, 2026)

    Zambia (August 20, 2025)

    Zimbabwe (January 21, 2026)

    Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.  The amount is determined at the time of the visa interview. 

    As a condition of the bond, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must enter and exit the United States through the designated ports of entry listed below.  Not doing this might lead to a denied entry or a departure that is not properly recorded:

    Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) (August 20, 2025)

    John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) (August 20, 2025)

    Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) (August 20, 2025)

    Photo : Illustration shows United States Department of State logo and U.S. flag ( Reuters)

    January 7, 2026

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