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US new visa bond program targets high overstay countries - Will Indian tourists be affected?
A new US visa bond program for high overstay countries begins August 20, 2025, requiring bonds from $5,000 to $15,000.
The United States has revised the list of nations whose nationals must post a visa bond in order to enter the country. The Visa Bond Pilot Program is applicable to foreign citizens of nations with high visa overstay rates, foreign nationals seeking for temporary tourist visas, and foreign nationals enrolled in Citizenship by Investment programs.
The US has implemented visa bonds for short-term tourists. Before visa approval, travelers are required to pay a bond of up to $15,000, which will be decided by the consulate officials.
All about State Dept's pilot program for visa bonds
The Department of State has launched a 12-month pilot program for visa bonds. The trial program for visa bonds will run from August 20, 2025, to August 5, 2026.
The pilot program may be applicable to foreign nationals who seek visas as temporary visitors for either work or leisure (B-1/B-2) and who are citizens of nations identified by the department.
Every visa holder who has posted a bond is required by law to enter and depart the US via Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
Visa bond cancellation, refund
If the candidate complies with the requirements of both the visa bond and their non-immigrant visa status, the whole sum of the bond will be reimbursed.
These conditions are specified on the bond form (Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 Immigration Bonds) and on Travel.State.Gov. In the following scenarios, the bond will be instantly terminated and the money will be refunded.
The visa holder leaves the US on or before the date they are permitted to stay there; or
The visa holder does not go to the US before the visa expiration date; or
At the point of entry into the US, the visa holder requests entry but gets rejected.
List of nations on visa bond; Will Indians be impacted?
A visa overstay is classified as “a nonimmigrant who was lawfully admitted to the United States for an authorized period but stayed in the United States beyond their authorized admission period.”
The three nations now on the visa bond list are: The Gambia (added on October 11, 2025), Malawi and Zambia (both included on August 20, 2025).
The study states that Malawi's B1/B2 Overstay Rates for FY 2023 were 4.17% (by air and sea) and 14.32% (by land). The overstay rate for students on F-1 Study, M, and J visas visiting the United States was 19.71%. Overstay rates are higher than 10% even in Zambia.
The overstay rate in the Gambia was 18.6% for all categories and 38.79% for the B1/B2 category.
In contrast, India registered 3,822 overstays in 2023, resulting in a 1.58% overall overstay rate. The overstay rate was 1.29% for B1/B2 visas.
Any citizen or national flying on a passport issued by one of these nations who is deemed otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa as of August 20, 2025, is required to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, as decided at the time of the visa interview.
Using the Department of the Treasury's online payment portal Pay.gov, the candidate must submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 attesting to the bond's conditions. This criterion is applicable regardless of the application's location.
