The U.S. Department of State has officially started a new Visa Bond Pilot Program in Washington, D.C. It is aimed at people from countries that have a history of high visa overstay rates. As part of this one-year trial, certain international passengers must post a refundable security bond of between $5,000 and $15,000 in order to get a visa.
The program started on August 20, 2025, and is set to end on August 5, 2026.
Details about the program and who can join
The pilot program is for:
Foreigners who want to visit the US for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2 visas) for a short time.
People from countries that the Department of State has said have a lot of people who stay too long.
Foreign citizens who are in Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs.
During the visa interview, consular officials will decide how much the bail will be: $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 (Immigration Bonds) must be filled out by applicants, and the bond must be paid through the Department of the Treasury’s Pay.gov website. This criterion is true no matter where you send in your visa application.
Entry and exit points that must be used and conditions for refunds
Visa holders who have to post a bond must enter and leave the US only through three specific international airports:
The airport in Boston is called Logan International (BOS).
JFK Airport in New York City
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
The whole bond amount will be automatically returned (and the bond will end) under the following situations, which show that the applicant is still a non-immigrant:
The person with the visa leaves the US on or before the day they are allowed to stay.
The person with the visa does not go to the US before the visa expires.
At the port of entry, the person with the visa is not allowed to enter the US.
The list of countries affected and how India is affected
A visa overstay is when a nonimmigrant was legally allowed to stay in the United States for a certain amount of time but stayed longer than that.
Because of their high rates of overstaying, the program now includes these three countries:
Zambia (incorporated on August 20, 2025)
Malawi (added on August 20, 2025)
The Gambia (added on October 11, 2025)
There have been a lot of people who have stayed too long in these countries. For instance, the B1/B2 overstay rate in Malawi was 14.32% (by land) for FY 2023, whereas the B1/B2 overstay rate in The Gambia was 38.79%.
What it means for Indians:
The new visa bond program does NOT cover India.
India’s overall overstay rate in 2023 was only 1.58%, and the B1/B2 overstay rate was only 1.29%. This means that Indian citizens who want B-1/B-2 visas do not have to meet this bond requirement right now.