US President Donald Trump's administration will require visa applicants from Zambia and Malawi to pay bonds up to $15,000 (R268,071) for some tourist and business visas under a pilot programme launching in two weeks, the state department said on Tuesday.
“Starting August 20 2025, any citizen or national travelling on a passport issued by one of these countries who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond in amounts of $5,000 (R89,3570, $10,000 (R178,714) or $15,000, determined at time of visa interview,” the state department said in a notice on its website.
A notice about the programme, which gives US consular officers worldwide the discretion to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays, appeared on the federal register on Monday but no country names were mentioned.
A state department spokesperson on Monday said countries would be identified based on “high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, concerns regarding acquisition of citizenship by investment without a residency requirement and foreign policy considerations”.
The spokesperson, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the list of countries may be updated from time to time.
The bond amount will be returned to the applicant if the applicant leaves the US within the allowed window of time in line with their visa and complies with all the terms of their visa status.
Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people who are in the US illegally.
He issued a travel ban in June that fully or partially blocks citizens of 19 nations from entering the US on national security grounds.
Countries in Africa, including Burundi, Djibouti and Togo, also had high overstay rates, according to US customs and border protection data from fiscal year 2023.
Visa holders who have posted a visa bond must arrive and depart the US via three specific ports of entry, the state department notice said on Tuesday. It listed those as Boston Logan Airport, John F Kennedy International Airport in New York and Washington Dulles Airport.
It warned if such travellers arrive or depart from anywhere else, they could be denied entry or their departure may not be appropriately registered.
Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.