New Visa Bond Requirements: Which Countries Are Affected by Trump's Latest Policy?

New Visa Bond Regulations Announced

Washington: The Trump administration has recently expanded its list of countries whose passport holders must post bonds ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 15,000 to apply for entry into the United States. This new policy now includes seven additional nations, five of which are located in Africa.

Currently, a total of thirteen countries are subject to this requirement, making the visa application process prohibitively expensive for many individuals.

Last week, the State Department discreetly added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan to the list. These changes took effect on January 1, as indicated by a notice on the travel.state.gov website.

This move is part of the Trump administration's ongoing efforts to impose stricter entry requirements for the US. This includes mandatory in-person interviews for all visa applicants and the submission of extensive social media histories along with detailed accounts of their and their families' past travel and living situations.

US officials have justified the bond requirement, arguing that it helps ensure that citizens from these targeted nations do not overstay their visas.

While paying the bond does not guarantee visa approval, the amount will be refunded if the visa is denied or if the visa holder complies with the visa conditions.

The newly added countries join Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, which were previously placed on the list in August and October of the previous year.