Overview
- The State Department finalized the rule on Friday, July 31, 2026, converting a pilot into a permanent requirement that citizens of 50 mostly African countries must post refundable bonds to be interviewed for B1/B2 visitor visas.
- The final regulation raises the maximum bond to $20,000 and eliminates the previous $5,000 low tier, leaving higher bond amounts to be set by consular officers.
- Officials cited pilot data showing overstays fell from about 45,500 in 2024 to fewer than 50 in the pilot’s first ten months and said that result supports using bonds to enforce compliance.
- The pilot covered roughly 20,000 applicants instead of an expected 2,000, nearly half of those required to post bonds declined to pay, and B1/B2 visas issued to nationals on the list dropped about 83 percent.
- Critics and immigration experts warn the bond amounts will bar poorer travelers from family visits, study and business trips and could shrink tourism and international student enrollment if the policy is expanded.