{
  "id": 27796,
  "title": "US to make visa bond programme permanent for people from dozens of countries",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/us-to-make-visa-bond-programme-permanent-for-people-from-dozens-of",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-01T18:23:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2019949/us-to-make-visa-bond-programme-permanent-for-people-from-dozens-of-countries"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United States State Department has decided to make a visa bond program permanent for certain applicants from 50 countries, primarily African nations, according to an official notice published online on Friday. This rule pertains to the B1 and B2 visas, which are utilized for business and tourism purposes. Consular officials may require visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000, contingent upon their discretion. The 2025 visa bond pilot program provided a framework for the Department of State, Homeland Security, and Treasury to evaluate the feasibility of such a program. Data from this pilot suggests that a visa bond program is an effective means of ensuring compliance among bonded visa holders. The final rule revises the bond requirements, eliminating the $5,000 option and raising the maximum bond to $20,000. The rule becomes effective on August 3 when it is set to be published in the Federal Register. The 50 countries whose citizens are affected by this program include 30 from Africa. US officials argue that this policy aims to curb visa overstays, while immigration advocates contend that it could deter legitimate travelers to the United States. Rights advocates argue that Trump's stringent immigration policies breach free speech and due process rights, creating an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and leading to racial profiling. Trump has defended these measures as crucial for enhancing national security. While Trump claims his administration aims to curb illegal immigration, it has simultaneously made legal immigration more challenging by imposing higher fees for certain visa types and intensifying social media vetting for applicants and existing immigrants in the country. Earlier this month, the State Department identified nationals from these 50 countries as needing to post visa bonds.",
  "summary": "The US State Department will make permanent a visa bond programme that could require applicants from 50 countries, mostly from Africa, to post bonds of up to $20,000 when seeking US visas, according to a federal notice posted online on Friday. The Federal Register notice applies to B1 and B2 visas, which are issued for business and tourism travel. “Consular officers may require covered…",
  "key_points": [
    "US State Department makes visa bond program permanent for 50 countries.",
    "Bond requirement raised to $20,000 from previous $5,000 option.",
    "Program aims to reduce visa overstays, faces criticism for deterring travelers."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "VnExpress International",
        "title": "US to make visa bond program permanent for people from 50 countries, including Cambodia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/us-to-make-visa-bond-program-permanent-for-people-from-50-countries",
        "published": "2026-08-03T06:22:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}