&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump administration widens visa bond program, adds 25 more countries to list. See complete list here")
The Trump administration has expanded the policy that requires some visa applicants to pay a large refundable bond before traveling to the United States. The State Department announced this week that 25 more countries have been added to the visa bond list. This comes less than a week after seven countries were added. With the latest update, travelers from 38 countries may now be required to pay a bond of up to $15,000 when applying for a US visa. The new rule will take effect on January 21, 2026.
Most of the countries affected are in Africa, though several are in Latin America and Asia. For many people, the cost of the bond could make it very difficult or impossible to apply for a US visa. US officials say the bond system helps make sure visitors do not stay in the country longer than their visas allow. The bond amount can range from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on the applicant.
Paying the bond does not guarantee that a visa will be approved. However, the money is returned if the visa is denied or if the traveler follows all visa rules and leaves the US on time. This policy is part of a broader effort by the administration to tighten entry rules. Other measures include requiring most visa applicants to attend in-person interviews and provide detailed information about their travel history, living arrangements, and social media activity.
The newly added countries include Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Cuba, Nigeria, Nepal, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and many others. They join countries already on the list, such as Bhutan, Botswana, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, and Zambia.
The expanded bond requirement is expected to affect thousands of travelers seeking to visit the United States for tourism, business, or family reasons.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
See the complete list here
Asia: Bangladesh, Nepal
Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Gabon, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Latin America/CaribbeanAntigua and Barbuda: Cuba, Dominica, Venezuela'
Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
OceaniaFiji: Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu
