US Expands Visa Bond Policy, Deepening Barriers for African Travelers

The Trump administration has added seven countries to a controversial immigration policy requiring certain foreign visitors to post cash bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for entry into the United States, bringing the total number of affected nations to 13, with 11 located on the African continent.

The State Department quietly added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan to the list last week, with those designations taking effect on Jan. 1, according to a notice posted on the travel.state.gov website.

The seven new additions follow the initial rollout of the program in August 2025, when Malawi and Zambia became the first countries subject to the bond requirement, followed by The Gambia, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, and Tanzania in subsequent months.

How the Bond System Works

Under the 12-month pilot program, citizens from affected countries seeking B-1 business or B-2 tourist visas must post bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 at the time of their visa interview. The amount is determined by consular officers based on individual circumstances, including the applicant’s reason for travel, employment, income, skills and education.

The bond is fully refundable only if travelers comply with all visa conditions, including timely departure from the United States. Payment of the bond does not guarantee visa issuance. If the visa is denied or the traveler never makes the trip, the money is also returned.

However, if a tourist overstays their visa or applies for asylum or another immigration-related program while in the US, the federal government keeps the money. Bonded travelers must also enter and exit through designated airports including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Washington Dulles International Airport.

Official Justification

US officials say the policy is intended to reduce visa overstays and strengthen immigration enforcement. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce described the measure as reinforcing “the administration’s commitment to U.S. immigration law while deterring visa overstays” when announcing the initial countries in August 2025.

The policy is based on Immigration and Nationality Act Section 221(g)(3) and Executive Order 14159, which President Donald Trump signed on his first day back in office as part of an executive order titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.”

According to the Federal Register notice, countries are selected based on high visa overstay rates identified in the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or countries offering citizenship by investment programs with no residency requirement.

The State Department said it expects about 2,000 visa applicants will need to post visa bonds during the program. “If the average bond is $10,000 (from options of $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000), the initial cost to aliens of bonds for 2,000 visa applicants will be $20,000,000,” the notice said.

Overstay Statistics and Context

The Department of Homeland Security’s 2023 Entry/Exit Overstay Report found that 565,155 nonimmigrants who entered through air or sea ports failed to depart on time, representing 1.45 percent of the total nonimmigrant admissions.

The report noted that “98.55 percent of the in-scope nonimmigrant visitors departed the United States on-time and in accordance with the terms of their admission.”

Neither Malawi nor Zambia have the highest visa overstay rates in the world or even in Africa, according to CNN’s analysis of the most recent Homeland Security data.

The Al Jazeera report noted that larger countries generate far more overstays in absolute numbers: an estimated 20,811 Brazilians stayed in the US longer than their tourism or business visas allowed, and 40,884 overstays were from Colombia.

Criticism and Concerns

Immigration advocates and policy analysts have strongly criticized the bond system as introducing a wealth-based filter into the visa process.

Robert McCaw, government affairs director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called the policy a “legalised shakedown” in a statement. “This is not about national security,” McCaw said. “It’s about weaponising immigration policy to extort vulnerable visitors, punish disfavored countries, and turn America’s welcome mat into a paywall.”

African Communities Together, an immigrant rights organization, condemned the expansion in October when additional African countries were added. The group noted it is “particularly concerning that this policy appears to target African countries, which are currently the only nations affected.”

The organization stated: “We find it staggering that these countries have, in many cases, demonstrably low visa overstay rates, rendering the justification for such a restrictive policy questionable.”

Habiba Osman, who heads Malawi’s Human Rights Commission, told CNN that the imposition of the visa bond was “unfair” and “a serious financial burden” for genuine travelers. “The bond is inhumane for a country like Malawi,” added Osman, who makes frequent trips to the US. “This move is punishing those who have no intention of overstaying.”

Zambian Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe expressed serious concern about “its potential economic implications on trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges,” adding that it includes “the unnecessary financial strain on Zambian nationals.”

Average household income in Zambia is roughly $150 per month, according to government data, making the bond an enormous sum.

Linda Coleman, an immigration law expert in Washington, told The Voice of Africa: “Imposing a $15,000 bond based on national origin raises serious equity concerns. The bond may be refundable, but for many families and professionals, it’s simply unaffordable.”

Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada warned in an August 2025 letter that “Las Vegas has already experienced more than a seven percent decrease in tourism through June of 2025 compared to the first six months of the previous year, and the Visa Bond Pilot Program will only further deter visitors.”

International Precedents and Responses

Most countries require proof of funds for visas but do not use a system where visitors have to post a refundable bond to enter.

New Zealand previously had a visa bond policy to manage overstays, but it is no longer in effect. In 2013, the United Kingdom tried and subsequently scrapped a plan to require a bond on visitors from certain “high-risk” countries, according to PBS News.

In October 2025, Mali introduced visa bond requirements for United States citizens in retaliation, with its Foreign Ministry stressing that the country has long worked with Washington on curbing irregular migration “with respect for law and human dignity,” but would honor reciprocity.

Broader Immigration Context

The bond policy is part of a broader tightening of US visa requirements under the Trump administration.

Other measures include requiring citizens from all countries that need 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.

The administration has also issued travel bans on more than a dozen countries and suspended new student visa interviews at various points.

Critics argue these measures collectively create insurmountable barriers for many legitimate travelers while disproportionately affecting African nations and reinforcing global inequality in freedom of movement.

As the 12-month pilot program continues through August 2026, the expanded bond policy is likely to further strain diplomatic relations and limit people-to-people exchange, raising broader questions about fairness, access, and the future direction of US immigration policy.

By Mohd Hassan, edited by Faustine Ngila (Impact Newswire).

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