According to the State Department, nationals of Malawi and Zambia will have to post “visa bonds” of up to $15,000 if they are deemed eligible to visit the United States on a visitor visa.
The new pilot program will go into effect starting August 20 and will run until August 5, 2026, according to NBC News. In addition to posting their bond amount, which will be determined at the time of their visa interview, applicants will also have to submit a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-352. A person’s visa bond could be $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. Malawians and Zambians applying for B-1 or B-2 non-immigrant visas, which include business and tourist travelers, face the new expense.
The visa bond pilot program is being enforced to prevent other countries’ nationals (in this case, Malawi and Zambia) from overstaying their allotted visit time in the U.S. Notably, the State Department outlines that “a bond does not guarantee visa issuance.”
Those who post visa bonds must arrive and depart from either of these three major U.S. airports: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). If the traveler complies with the terms outlined in their Form I-352, their bond will be returned. Other circumstances under which the money would be returned include the traveler leaving the U.S. before their visa expires, failing to visit the U.S. before their visa expires, or being denied entry into the U.S. at one of the designated arrival airports.
Breaching the visa bond’s terms would include overstaying one’s authorized time in the U.S., or if that person “applies to adjust out of nonimmigrant status, including claiming asylum.”
More On The U.S. Government’s Visa Bonds
It’s unclear why the U.S. government chose Malawi and Zambia as the countries to subject to its visa bonds pilot program. According to the DHS’s 2023 data, the African countries do not have the highest numbers of nationals in the U.S. on overstayed visas.
A State Department spokesperson issued a statement to CNN when asked why other countries with higher numbers of nationals in the U.S. who’ve overstayed their visa weren’t targeted like Malawi and Zambia.
The statement said, “According to the Department of Homeland Security’s most recent data, in addition to operational and other considerations, nationals of these countries who traveled to the United States on nonimmigrant visas exceeded their authorized period of admission at high rates, elevated overstay rates generally suggest a greater likelihood that nationals from these countries may fail to depart the United States as required or otherwise not comply with U.S. immigration laws.”
The visa bond news is in line with the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and visitation to the United States. Since Trump took office in January, the government has implemented stricter vetting for student visa applicants. Also, the Big, Beautiful Bill includes a $250 visa integrity fee, an increased Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) fee, and an Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) fee.
Additionally, the Trump administration announced a travel ban that targets 19 countries. Of that group, 10 are African nations. In the announcement, Trump claimed that some countries had travel bans placed on their nationals because those places were abusing the American visa system. He added that “Nationals of some countries also pose significant risks of overstaying their visas in the United States.” Notably, the U.S. didn’t impose travel bans on Malawi and Zambia at that time.
