WASHINGTON — The US visa bond program will become permanent Monday, raising the financial guarantee required from some business and tourist visa applicants to as much as $20,000 and continuing restrictions affecting travelers from 50 countries, including three Eastern Caribbean states.
Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Grenada are among the Caribbean countries whose passport holders are covered. Cuba is also included, while St Lucia is not currently on the State Department’s list.
The permanent policy replaces a one-year pilot program launched in August 2025. It applies to certain applicants seeking B-1 business visas, B-2 tourist visas or combined B-1 and B-2 visas.
Under the final rule, US consular officers may require an otherwise eligible applicant to post a refundable bond of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 before a visa is issued. The previous $5,000 option has been removed, while the maximum has increased from $15,000.
The policy takes effect Aug. 3, 2026.
Financial barrier rises under US visa bond program
The bond is intended to encourage visitors to comply with the conditions of their visas and leave the United States before their authorized stay expires.
It is not an additional visa application fee and does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. Applicants should pay only after being instructed by a US consular officer through the government’s authorized payment system.
A friend, relative or business associate may post the bond on behalf of an applicant. However, the person identified as the payer will receive the refund if the traveler complies with all conditions.
The State Department said applicants should not pay through third-party websites or private agents. Money sent outside official US government systems may not be recoverable.
For affected Caribbean families, the higher bond could create a significant temporary financial burden. A $20,000 payment is equivalent to about EC$54,000, although exchange rates and bank charges could affect the actual amount required.
That money may remain unavailable for the duration of the trip and while US authorities process the cancellation and refund.
The final rule allows consular officers to consider an applicant’s individual circumstances when choosing the bond level. The State Department said the three amounts are intended to give officers flexibility while reflecting the estimated cost of immigration enforcement if a visitor remains in the country unlawfully.
Antigua, Dominica and Grenada remain covered
The State Department’s current list includes four Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominica and Grenada.
Antigua and Barbuda previously opened diplomatic talks with Washington after its inclusion in the program, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne seeking what his government described as fair treatment for the country’s travelers.
St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and several other Caribbean states are not currently listed.
The permanent rule gives the State Department authority to add or remove countries on a rolling basis. Newly affected countries must generally be identified on the department’s website at least 15 days before implementation.
Countries may be selected based on high visa overstay rates, weaknesses in information sharing, inadequate identity verification, incomplete criminal records or concerns about screening, travel documents and the granting of citizenship.
The final rule does not automatically place every citizen of a country with a citizenship-by-investment program under the bond system. However, document security, identity verification and the way citizenship is granted may be considered when US authorities decide which countries should be covered.
This leaves Caribbean governments facing continued scrutiny of passport security, migration controls and information-sharing arrangements with Washington.
Pilot sharply reduced US visa issuance
The State Department initially expected about 2,000 applicants to be required to pay bonds during the pilot program. Instead, about 20,000 visa applications became subject to the requirement.
Close to half of the affected applicants paid the bond, temporarily placing about $115 million into the program.
Nearly half chose not to proceed with payment, and B-1 and B-2 visa issuance in the listed countries fell by 83% during the first 10 months of the pilot.
The department said the decline was an expected consequence of the policy and predicted that the permanent rule would continue reducing demand for US visitor visas among nationals of covered countries.
US officials also reported a sharp decline in overstays. Nearly 45,500 visitors from the affected countries overstayed in 2024, compared with fewer than 50 recorded during the first 10 months of the pilot, according to figures cited in the final rule.
The department said those results demonstrated that the program was operationally feasible and could serve as an enforcement and diplomatic tool.
Critics have argued that the requirement creates a disproportionate obstacle for people from lower-income countries, including travelers seeking to visit family, attend business meetings or pursue legitimate opportunities in the United States.
The reduction in visa issuance also shows that the bond can function as more than a compliance guarantee. For applicants unable to temporarily surrender $10,000 or more, the requirement may effectively prevent travel even when they are otherwise qualified for a visa.
How travelers can recover the bond
The bond is generally canceled and refunded when US authorities confirm that the traveler left the country on or before the end of the authorized stay.
A refund may also be issued when the visa holder does not travel before the visa expires or when the person travels but is denied admission at a US port of entry.
The money is returned to the individual or third party who posted the bond, known as the obligor. Payments and refunds are processed in US dollars, leaving the payer responsible for any loss caused by exchange-rate movements.
US authorities may declare the bond breached when a traveler overstays, leaves after the authorized departure date or violates other conditions of admission.
The State Department also lists an attempt to adjust out of nonimmigrant status, including seeking asylum, among the situations that may be referred for a bond-breach determination.
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for making the final decision on whether the bond has been violated. A substantial breach may result in forfeiture of the full payment.
Travel limited to approved entry points
Travelers subject to the bond must enter and leave the United States through commercial airports, including airports with US Customs and Border Protection preclearance operations.
They may not use land crossings, seaports, charter aircraft or general aviation facilities.
Failure to use an approved airport could result in denied entry or prevent the traveler’s departure from being properly recorded, potentially delaying a refund or triggering a compliance review.
Visas issued under the permanent program may allow single or multiple entries and may be valid for periods ranging from three to 12 months. The visa’s validity period does not determine how long a traveler may remain during each visit. That decision is made by US border officers at the point of entry.
The 50 countries currently affected
The US State Department’s official visa bond page currently lists 50 countries whose B-1 and B-2 visa applicants may be required to post a bond.
Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Thirty of the affected countries are in Africa.
The permanent US visa bond program represents a major shift from the limited use of such financial guarantees in previous years. For Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Grenada, the immediate consequence is that some citizens may need access to tens of thousands of dollars before making even a temporary visit to the United States.
The list can still change, making passport integrity, overstay rates and cooperation with US screening requirements increasingly important for Caribbean governments seeking to protect affordable and predictable travel access for their citizens.
