The US State Department said that from April 2, 2026, citizens of 12 more countries will have to pay a refundable visa bond.
US visa bond program
The bond can be as high as $15,000. It will apply to some US visas, including short term business and tourist visas (B1/B2). This expands a visa bond program that started last year.
With these additions, a total of 50 countries are now part of the program. The newly added countries are Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia.
Citizens from these countries must pay the bond. The money will be returned if they follow all visa rules or if their visa is refused.
The State Department said the policy is meant to reduce visa overstays. Officials added that almost 97 per cent of people who already paid bonds under the program returned to their home countries on time.
The visa bond program began under the administration of Donald Trump as part of wider immigration enforcement.
Human rights groups have criticised the policy. They say it creates financial barriers for genuine travellers and affects people from developing countries the most.
Under this system, the bond amount is not always the same. Consular officers can set it at $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 based on each case.
The payment must be made through official channels. It is refunded if the traveller follows all visa conditions.
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US announces 65,000 new work visas in 2026
The United States government will also issue 65,000 additional H-2B work visas for the 2026 fiscal year.
This increase almost doubles the normal seasonal visa limit. It mainly targets sectors such as construction, hospitality, landscaping and seafood processing. These industries are facing major worker shortages.
A notice in the Federal Register said the visas will be issued under a temporary final rule. They will be available until September 30, 2026.
The H-2B program allows US companies to hire foreign workers for temporary non agricultural jobs.
Some of the new visas will be reserved for workers who have already held H-2B status in the past.
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