The United States is widening its visa bond program to cover 50 countries, aiming to significantly reduce the number of visitors who overstay their visas. Starting April 2, 2026, travelers from affected nations applying for B1 (business) or B2 (tourism) visas will be required to pay a refundable $15,000 bond.
The US Department of State reported that the program has already achieved a 97% compliance rate among participants. Nearly 1,000 visas have been issued under the initiative, with the majority of travelers returning home as required. This marks a sharp contrast to the final year of the Biden administration, when more than 44,000 visitors from the same countries overstayed their visas.
The expansion will add 12 new countries, including Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia, to the 38 nations already participating. Nigeria is among the countries currently included in the program.
According to the State Department, the bond is fully refundable for travelers who comply with visa terms and return home within the specified period. The program also helps save US taxpayers millions, as it costs an average of $18,000 to remove a person who overstays, with the initiative estimated to save up to $800 million annually.
