April 2, 2026 · Program update

12 countries added to the U.S. Visa Bond Program on April 2, 2026

On April 2, 2026, the U.S. Visa Bond Program grew to 50 countries with the addition of Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia.

This wave includes several high-volume visitor countries — Mongolia, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Georgia, and Tunisia together accounted for over 70,000 B1/B2 visas in FY2025 — meaning tens of thousands of travelers a year now face the bond requirement.

Countries added April 2, 2026

What this means for applicants

• If your B1/B2 visa is approved, the consular officer may require a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 ($10,000 is the default) before the visa is issued.
• You have 30 days to post the bond — miss the window and the visa application is cancelled.
• The bond is filed via DHS Form I-352 and paid through the U.S. Treasury's Pay.gov.
• Bond holders must enter and exit the U.S. through commercial airports; the bond is automatically cancelled when you depart on time.
• You don't have to lock up the money yourself — VisaBond posts the bond for you for a one-time fee.

Source: U.S. Department of State — Countries Subject to Visa Bonds.