The Trump administration has expanded a pilot program that could require visitors from dozens of countries to pay steep visa bonds — as high as $15,000 — when applying to enter the United States for tourism or business, according to a notice published on the State Department’s website.
The State Department added 25 countries to the list, bringing the total to 38. The new additions largely include nations in Africa, Latin America and South Asia, and the requirement is set to take effect on January 21, 2026.
Under the policy, applicants from listed countries who are otherwise eligible for B1/B2 visas must post a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, with the amount determined during the visa interview. Applicants must accept the bond terms and pay through the US Treasury Department’s Pay.gov platform.
Venezuela was among the newly added countries, Reuters noted, days after former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was seized by US forces and transferred to New York.
US officials say the bonds are designed to deter visitors from overstaying visas intended for tourism or business travel. The visa-bond initiative began as a pilot program launched in August, and its expansion comes as the administration continues a broader hard-line immigration agenda that has included stepped-up deportations, visa and green-card revocations, and increased scrutiny of immigrants’ online activity and past remarks.
Human rights groups have criticized the administration’s immigration and travel policies, arguing they weaken due process and chill free expression, while the White House and its allies say the measures are aimed at strengthening domestic security.