The United States State Department has officially transitioned its pilot visa bond program into a permanent policy. Originally launched as a pilot in August 2025, the program now affects citizens of 50 countries who are seeking B-1/B-2 business or tourism nonimmigrant visas. As stated in the Federal Register notice, the program is limited to applicants from specific countries identified by the State Department as failing to meet rigorous standards regarding overstays, information sharing, screening and vetting, civil, criminal and identity records, and document security.
For citizens of these listed countries, a consular officer may require a bond of $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 to obtain a visa. This bond, which can be posted by the applicant or a third party such as a family member or business associate, is intended to ensure the visa-holder maintains their nonimmigrant status, does not apply for asylum or refugee status, and departs the United States as required. If the visa is denied, the bond is canceled; if approved, the bond is returnable once the visa expires and the individual has departed the U.S. This requirement comes on top of the existing nonrefundable $185 application fee.
Among the 50 countries currently subject to the program, 12 are in Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The regional breakdown includes three Central Asian nations, one in East Asia, two in South Asia, two in Southeast Asia, and four in Oceania. For many, these bond amounts are prohibitive; for example, the average gross monthly salary in Bangladesh is approximately $149, while in Tuvalu it is $551 and in Turkmenistan it is $714.
The State Department reported that in FY 2024, there were 45,488 overstays from the 50 listed countries. During the first 10 months of the pilot program, the agency noted that the number of overstays was fewer than 50. However, the State Department also observed that visa issuances dropped by 83 percent compared to the same period in the prior year. Nearly half of the 20,000 applicants mandated to pay a bond chose not to, leading the notice to suggest that some applicants appear to self-select by not paying, though this is perhaps better read as self-rejecting. The State Department interpreted this decline in overstay rates as a direct result of the program, though critics argue that fewer visas naturally lead to fewer overstays.
The Trump administration’s hyperfocus on overstay percentages rather than actual numbers has drawn criticism for targeting countries with relatively low travel volume. For instance, while Turkmenistan had a 15.89 percent overstay rate in 2024, this represented only 320 people. Similarly, Tuvalu’s 11.63 percent rate represented only five people out of 43 expected departures. In contrast, Bangladesh had a 5.73 percent rate, which accounted for over 2,200 overstays. Observers argue that if the goal is to reduce the actual number of overstays, targeting countries like Tuvalu may be misplaced.
This policy shift occurs as the United States experiences a significant decline in foreign visitors. Data from the National Travel and Tourism Office indicates that 4 million fewer foreign visitors traveled to the U.S. in 2025 compared to 2024, marking the worst single-year decline in two decades, excluding the 2020 pandemic. Reports suggest the American reputation is less welcoming, with the Trump administration’s widespread crackdown on all forms of immigration resulting in violence, including the killing of U.S. and foreign citizens by immigration agents.
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