As of 1 January 2026, the Trump administration has expanded its “visa bond” pilot programme to include seven additional nations, bringing the total number of affected states to fifteen. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains that this expansion is a necessary measure to curb visa overstay rates, though critics have labelled the high financial requirements discriminatory.
The newly added countries are Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan.
This measure extends a pilot programme launched by the DHS in late August 2025, targeting countries deemed to be at a higher risk of overstaying or with deficient screening systems. US authorities say the scheme is intended to ensure compliance with departure deadlines and address broader concerns related to vetting, migration cooperation, and foreign policy.
Applicants from the designated countries must submit Homeland Security Form I-352 and attend an in-person interview at a US embassy or consulate. In many cases, this already constitutes a major obstacle, as embassies may be located hundreds of kilometres away in regions with limited transport infrastructure. Applicants must also disclose their social media history and provide detailed information about their own and their close family members’ travel patterns.
According to the US State Department, “any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries who is otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond” of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The specific amount is determined at the discretion of consular officers during the interview.
For many applicants, the sums involved are prohibitive. In several of the affected African countries, the maximum bond exceeds the average annual income many times over. Even in comparatively wealthier states such as Botswana or Namibia, the upper bond level remains out of reach for large segments of the population.
As a Motswana come Jan 1, you now have to pay a visa bond which will cost between 65000 pula and 150,000 pula but it is refundable only if you don’t break any visa condition…..Safe to say not many Batswana will be going to the US anymore pic.twitter.com/TBPW24kWRJ
— KaraboTheAnswer (@TheAnswerKarabo) December 21, 2025
In addition to the bond, applicants must pay the standard, non-refundable US visa application fee of $185. If a visa is refused after the bond has been posted, the bond itself is refunded. The same applies if the traveller complies fully with the terms of their visa and leaves the United States on time.
However, US authorities insist that the bond does not guarantee visa approval and emphasise that it is intended solely as a compliance mechanism to reduce overstays.
Entry to the US under the programme is restricted to designated ports of entry, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport. Failure to comply with these entry and exit conditions may result in the forfeiture of the bond or refusal of future entry.
The other countries already on the list are all located in Africa. These include the Central African Republic, Guinea (Conakry), Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, The Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia.
While the DHS describes the move as a way to ensure that the US government incurs no cost when a visitor violates their visa terms, critics have described the measure as discriminatory and punitive. The visa bond pilot scheme was launched in late August 2025 and now operates alongside broader travel restrictions introduced in December 2025, including full and partial entry bans affecting dozens of countries.
By way of comparison, EU citizens travelling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme and subject to ESTA authorisation pay only $21 for a 90-day stay; there are no bonds, interviews, or visa fees.
