Visa Bond Pilot Program

By: Ujwala Bagal

The Department of State (DOS) has issued a temporary final rule (TFR) announcing a 12-month long visa bond pilot program, running from August 20, 2025 to August 5, 2026. The Visa Bond Pilot Program will apply to B1/B2 visa applicants from select countries with a high rate of visas overstays, not provide enough information for proper background checks, or offer citizenship without requiring people to live there (citizenship-by-investment programs) to pay a refundable bond of amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, determined at time of visa interview. The applicant will also be required to submit a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-352 agreeing to the terms of the bond, regardless of place of application.

Applicants required to pay the bond will be issued a single-entry visa valid for 3 months which will allow the applicant to stay in the U.S. up to 30 days, depending on approval by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The applicant must enter/depart the U.S. through designated points of entry (POE) in Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, or Washington Dulle International Airport.

A visa bond will be cancelled and payment returned to the applicant if the applicant complies with the terms of the visa bond set by DHS Form I-352 in the following circumstances:

• The visa holder has not worked without authorization and leaves the U.S. on or before their authorized stay ends;
• The visa holder applies in a timely manner for an extension/change of status, complies with new status, and departs before authorization ends;
• The visa holder does not travel to the U.S. before the expiration of the visa; or
• The visa holder applies for and is denied admission at the U.S. P.O.E.

 

The DHS is responsible for determining if a visa holder has breached the terms of the visa bond, leading to forfeiture in cases such as:

• The visa holder violates the terms of their status;
• The visa holder files an unexcused, untimely change/extension of status;
• The visa holder remains in the U.S. beyond their authorization; or
• If the visa holder filed change/extension of status is denied and applicant fails to depart within 10 days of denial.

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Applicants may also request a manual cancellation of the bond via appointment with a Consular Office within 30 days of departure from the U.S., or prior to travel to the US. The bond may also be cancelled if the Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS) record does not show the applicant’s departure and the applicant has proven their identity, timely departure, and compliance with the terms of their visa.

The DOS has yet to share full details on how the program will be carried out, the DOS Liaison Committee will provide updates as more details emerge.  A full list of countries that will be included has not been disclosed, besides an update posted on August 05, 2025 identifying Malawi and Zambia as part of the program. Additional countries may be added to the list, each with a 15-day notice.