The US Department of State has announced that the visa bond program it has been implementing is to become permanent, and that the security bond may be as high as $20,000 for applicants from 50 countries.
The provision will be for B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) visas, foreign media reports say. Eligible applicants might be requested to pay a refundable bond of up to $20,000, as part of the visa application process.
The results of the 2025 pilot program showed it to be a successful tool to enhance compliance with U.S. visa laws, according to US officials. Under the pilot program, bond amounts ranged from $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000. The new policy removes the $5,000 option and increases the maximum of the amount of the bond to $20,000.
The new rule will be in effect once it is officially published in the Federal Register on August 3.
There are 50 countries in the program, 30 of which are in Africa. The policy aims to minimise the backlog of people who overstay their visas in the US, officials in the US said.
The move comes as part of an overall effort by the US government to beef up immigration regulations. The country is also tightening up on legal immigrants, with higher social media checks on applicants and new visa costs for some legal immigrants.
Earlier, the United States introduced new visa rules that will place stricter limits on how long international students and foreign journalists can remain in the country, as President Donald Trump’s administration moves forward with tighter immigration policies.
Under the new regulations, expected to take effect as early as September 2026, international students will be granted visas for the duration of their academic programme, subject to a maximum stay of four years. Students who require additional time to complete their studies will need to apply for an extension.
The updated policy also affects foreign journalists. Most journalists will be permitted to stay in the US for 240 days (around eight months) at a time, with the option to apply for extensions of the same duration. Chinese journalists will face stricter limits, with an initial stay of 90 days and possible 90-day extensions.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the changes are intended to strengthen oversight of visa holders, arguing that the previous open-ended system allowed some international students to remain in the country indefinitely by continuously extending their studies.
Read more: US announces new visa update for students
