U.S. to Charge Up to $20,000 to Apply for a Visa

Visa bonds of up to $20,000

Affects about 50 countries

Trump administration tightens visa rules

The new policy tightens access to tourist and business visas for citizens of approximately 50 countries and could discourage the use of one of the primary legal pathways for traveling to the United States.

The US government will make permanent the US visa bond program, which requires certain foreign nationals applying for tourist and business visas to post bonds of up to $20,000.

US visa bond program: How the new rule will work

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Una publicación compartida por El Nuevo Diario (@elnuevodiariord)

The decision was published Friday by the US Department of State in the Federal Register.

The new rule will take effect next Monday.

The program applies to individuals seeking B-1/B-2 visas for tourism or business travel.

What changes with the permanent US visa bond program?

#July31 | The U.S. Department of State announced that the government will require bonds of up to $20,000 from citizens of approximately 50 countries seeking tourist and business visas, including Venezuela.

The measure is part of a pilot program that took effect in… pic.twitter.com/fLN3Vt2ehS

— El Diario (@eldiario) July 31, 2026

The measure affects citizens of approximately 50 countries, most of them located in West and East Africa.

Among the countries included are Benin, Cabo Verde, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Uganda. The policy also applies to four countries in the Americas.

Nationals of Cuba, Grenada, Nicaragua, and Venezuela will also be subject to these visa bonds, according to Telemundo.

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Consular officers will determine on a case-by-case basis whether an applicant must pay a financial bond.

The required amount may be $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000, at the discretion of each consular officer.

Applicants required to pay the bond must do so before completing the visa application process.

The funds will be administered by the US Department of the Treasury and the US Department of State.

According to the government, the bond will be refunded once the traveler completes their stay in the United States in compliance with the terms of their visa.

Trump administration says the policy aims to reduce visa overstays

The Trump administration says the policy is part of its broader strategy to reduce immigration.

Officials argue that the program targets countries whose citizens are more likely to remain in the United States beyond the period authorized by their visas.

The Department of State also released the results of the first year of the pilot program.

According to the agency, approximately 20,000 applications were identified as requiring a visa bond.

About half of those applicants chose to abandon the process rather than continue with their visa application.

The official report also states that the policy resulted in an 83% reduction in the number of tourist and business visas issued in the affected countries.

The administration used those results to justify making the US visa bond program permanent.

Advocacy groups warn about the impact on applicants

The measure has also drawn criticism from organizations that advocate for immigrants.

These groups argue that the visa bonds create a significant financial barrier for people seeking to enter the United States legally.

They contend that the requirement makes it especially difficult for citizens of lower-income countries to obtain visas.

They also argue that the policy disproportionately affects countries with predominantly Black populations.

According to these organizations, requiring financial guarantees of up to $20,000 could discourage legitimate tourism and business travel.

With the rule taking effect next Monday, consular officers will begin permanently applying this US visa bond program to applicants from the countries included in the program.

The change cements an immigration policy that the government considers effective in reducing visa overstays, while critics argue that it makes one of the primary legal pathways to the United States more expensive and less accessible.