Overview
- Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia are added effective April 2, 2026.
- Consular officers may require B‑1/B‑2 applicants to post a refundable bond set between $5,000 and $15,000 based on overstay risk.
- Payments are handled through the U.S. Treasury’s Pay.gov system, and bonds are returned if a visa is denied or the traveler departs on time.
- The State Department cites average removal costs above $18,000 per case and projects savings of up to $800 million annually from the program.
- Human rights groups criticize the expansion for creating financial barriers to travel, while U.S. officials point to high compliance rates reported in early use of the program.