in effect
This is a temporary final rule from the U.S. Department of State establishing a 12-month pilot program that allows consular officers to require a cash bond from certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants before issuing their visa. It runs from August 20, 2025 through August 5, 2026, and is authorized under Section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Consular officers may now require covered applicants to deposit between $5,000 and $15,000 via the Treasury’s Pay.gov website as a condition of receiving a B-1/B-2 visa; the default amount is $10,000. The bond is forfeited if the visa holder overstays, violates their status conditions, or fails to depart within 10 days of a denied extension request; it is returned if they depart on time and comply with all status conditions. Travel under the bond must occur through specific pre-announced airports capable of automatically confirming departure. The list of countries whose nationals are subject to the program will be published on travel.state.gov at least 15 days before taking effect and can be updated on a rolling basis. There is no formal waiver application process for individual applicants, though consular officers may recommend waivers in narrow circumstances such as U.S. government travel or urgent humanitarian need.
Nationals of countries the State Department designates as having high visa overstay rates, deficient screening and vetting information, or Citizenship by Investment programs that grant citizenship without a residency requirement are subject to the bond requirement when applying for a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa. Visa Waiver Program travelers, Canadian nationals, and Mexican nationals are explicitly excluded from the pilot. The program also affects the State Department, DHS, and Treasury operationally, as a stated purpose is to test the interagency mechanics of collecting, holding, and discharging these bonds.