The U.S. has made its visa bond programme permanent for citizens of 50 countries, requiring some business and tourist visa applicants to pay refundable deposits of up to $20,000. Several Central Asian countries remain on the list, but Uzbekistan is not.
The U.S. State Department said the programme, which became permanent on 3 August, is designed to encourage compliance with U.S. immigration rules by ensuring visitors leave the country before their authorised stay expires.
Under the programme, consular officers may require applicants for B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas to pay a refundable bond of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000, depending on individual circumstances.
The bond must be paid electronically through the U.S. Treasury's Visa Bond Program after applicants receive instructions from a consular officer. The money is automatically refunded once the visitor leaves the United States within the authorised period or if entry is denied at the border.
Exceptions will be granted only in limited circumstances, including for U.S. government employees and urgent humanitarian cases.
The programme was first introduced as a pilot scheme in August 2025 before being expanded and later made permanent.
Among Central Asian countries, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are included in the programme, while Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are not.
The list is compiled using visa overstay data and currently includes 50 countries across several regions.
More than half of the countries on the list — 29 in total — are in Africa, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Algeria, Senegal and Tanzania. In Asia, the policy covers Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Georgia is the only South Caucasus country included in the programme. Several Pacific island states, including Fiji, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, as well as six countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, are also covered.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the pilot programme significantly reduced visa overstays among nationals of participating countries.
Officials said that during the first 10 months of the programme, the number of people overstaying their visas fell from more than 45,000 to fewer than 50. However, visa issuance to citizens of countries covered by the programme also declined by 83 per cent over the same period.
The permanent visa bond programme forms part of a broader tightening of U.S. immigration policy.
In July, the State Department also announced plans to introduce a $100,000 refundable bond for certain applicants seeking permanent residency through Green Cards. Under the proposal, the deposit would be returned only after the individual obtains U.S. citizenship.
The latest measures reflect Washington's continued focus on strengthening immigration compliance, reducing visa overstays and improving enforcement of entry requirements.
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