The United States has made a new rule for visas. From April 2, 2026, people from 50 countries must pay a $15,000 bond before getting a B1 (business) or B2 (tourist) visa.
The US State Department announced this decision on March 18, 2026.
This bond is not a fee—it will be returned if the person follows all visa rules. This includes:
Leaving the US on time
Following all visa conditions
Or even if the person does not travel after getting the visa
Why This Decision Was Taken
This step was taken by the Trump administration to reduce illegal visa overstays.
US officials said that around 1,000 people have received visas under this program so far, and about 97% of them returned to their home countries on time.
However, during the last year of the previous administration, more than 44,000 people from these 50 countries stayed in the US longer than allowed.
List of Countries Under This Rule
From April 2, 12 new countries will be added to this policy:
Cambodia
Ethiopia
Georgia
Grenada
Lesotho
Mauritius
Mongolia
Mozambique
Nicaragua
Papua New Guinea
Seychelles
Tunisia
These will join 38 countries already under this rule, including:
Algeria
Angola
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Nepal
Nigeria
Senegal
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Importantly, India and Pakistan are not included in this list.
The US State Department also said that more countries may be added in the future based on immigration risk, such as visa overstay data and rule compliance.
Financial Benefits for the US
The US government says this policy also helps save money.
On average, it costs about $18,000 to deport a person who is staying illegally in the country. Because of this visa bond system, the US is saving nearly $800 million every year.
This rule mainly applies to short-term visas like B1 (business) and B2 (tourism), which are the most common visas used for:
Business trips
Tourism
Family visits
The bond works as a financial guarantee to make sure people follow visa rules properly.
