Thousands of Africans seeking U.S. business or tourist visas will now face a permanent financial hurdle after Washington officially made its visa bond programme a standing part of immigration policy and increased the maximum amount applicants may be required to pay.
The rule takes effect on Monday, August 3, 2026, nearly a year after the programme was introduced as a pilot on August 20, 2025. It requires selected applicants for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas from designated countries to post a refundable bond before travelling to the United States. U.S. officials say the measure is designed to reduce visa overstays.
A Reuters report on the notice quoted the State Department as saying that “consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.” The bond is refunded if the visa application is denied or if the traveller complies with the terms of their stay.
Under the pilot programme, bond amounts ranged from $5,000 to $15,000. The permanent rule raises the maximum to $20,000 and eliminates the $5,000 option. Eligible applicants can now be required to pay $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000, depending on a consular officer’s assessment. A draft notice published in the Federal Register said the nearly year-long review provided enough evidence to conclude that the programme improved compliance with visa conditions, leading to its adoption as a permanent policy.
Africa is the region most affected. Thirty of the 50 countries currently subject to the bond requirement are African, making the continent the hardest hit by one of the biggest changes to U.S. visitor visa rules in recent years. The affected countries are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The State Department said countries are selected based on factors including high B-1/B-2 visa overstay rates, using data from the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report. The formal notice is scheduled for publication on Monday, and the list of affected countries could expand as compliance data continues to be reviewed.
U.S. officials say the policy encourages compliance with visa rules and discourages overstays. Critics argue that requiring refundable deposits of up to $20,000 creates a significant financial barrier for legitimate travellers from developing countries, including business owners, investors, professionals and families. Some visa policy analysts have also reported a sharp decline in approval rates for applicants from countries included in the pilot programme, although the State Department has not released comparative approval data of its own.
For many African travellers, the permanent policy adds another layer of cost and uncertainty to an already expensive visa process, alongside application fees, travel costs and increasingly stringent screening requirements. With Washington continuing to monitor overstay data, more countries could eventually be added to the programme.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah