Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration has extended its contested visa bond program, including 25 new countries, to the list of nations whose citizens may be asked to provide bonds not exceeding $15,000 to enter the United States. The extension, declared by the State Department, lifts the total number of affected countries to 38 and will be implemented on January 21, 2026.
The added countries span the regions of Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Venezuela was inserted after current events that saw the arrest of the former leader, Nicolás Maduro, by the U.S. and his transfer to New York.
As stated by the State Department, B1/B2 visa holders from these countries are expected to pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, a sum decided at the visa interview. The money will be carried out via Pay.gov, the U.S. Treasury Department’s electronic payment service.
The visa bond program was initially introduced as a pilot program in August 2025, targeted at preventing tourists and business visitors from violating the terms of issued visas by staying beyond the authorized period.
Since taking office last year, President Donald Trump has been pushing a hardline immigration agenda that has seen him order deportation campaigns, implement more rigorous visa screening, and increase surveillance of immigrants’ social media activities. Human rights organizations have been railing against these policies, accusing them of gutting due process and free speech rights, but administration officials maintain that they are vital for the future.