The United States has significantly expanded a controversial immigration measure, demanding passport holders from seven additional countries post substantial financial bonds simply to apply for a visa.
New Nations Face Steep Financial Hurdle
In a move quietly enacted last week, the US State Department added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan to its list of countries subject to the visa bond rule. This policy, which took effect on 1 January 2026, requires applicants from these nations to secure a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
The updated list now includes thirteen countries in total, with all but two located in Africa. This expansion marks the latest effort by the Trump administration to tighten entry requirements, a campaign that has also introduced mandatory in-person interviews for visa applicants from all non-exempt countries and demands for extensive personal data.
Bonds as a Deterrent, Not a Guarantee
American officials have defended the bond system, arguing it is an effective tool to ensure travellers from targeted nations do not overstay their visas. However, they explicitly state that payment of the bond does not guarantee a visa will be granted.
The hefty sum is refundable if the visa application is denied. It is also returned when a visa holder demonstrates they have complied with all the terms of their stay and left the US before their authorisation expired.
This financial barrier effectively places the cost of a US visa out of reach for many ordinary citizens from the affected countries, transforming the application process into a prohibitively expensive gamble.
Broadening Scrutiny and Growing List
The new countries join six others that were placed under the bond requirement in August and October of last year: Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia.
Alongside the bond, applicants from visa-required nations must now comply with intensified screening. This includes disclosing years of their social media history and providing detailed accounts of their own and their family's previous international travel and residence.
The official notice of these changes was posted on the US government's travel.state.gov website, continuing a pattern of implementing significant immigration policy shifts with minimal public announcement.
