# US makes visa bond program permanent for travelers from 50 countries, with deposits up to US$20,000 starting August 3 > The US State Department is making its visa bond program permanent starting August 3, 2026, requiring B-1 and B-2 tourist and business visa applicants from 50 countries to post refundable deposits of up to US$20,000 before entering the United States; consular officers will set amounts based on the applicant's finances and ties to the US **Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-08-01 · heads: How Life Changes, Who Decides · 4 takes · 4 lenses · 4 regions ## Summary The [US](/en/entity/united-states) State Department is making its visa bond program permanent starting August 3, 2026, requiring tourist and business visa (B-1 and B-2) applicants from 50 countries to post refundable deposits of up to US$20,000 before being admitted. Consular officers set the amount per applicant based on their financial circumstances and ties to the US, with the bond refunded if the visitor departs by their visa expiry date. The program targets countries with higher visa overstay rates and applies to travelers who cannot enter under the US visa-waiver program. The 50 affected countries were not fully listed in most reports. ## The split US immigration-specialist and mainstream outlets focused on the mechanics and permanent status of the program. Eastern European outlet Logos Press covered it from the angle of non-visa-waiver-program countries, noting the US$20,000 cap as a significant financial barrier. Al Arabiya flagged it for Gulf and Middle Eastern readership, where many countries are on the affected list. ## By the numbers - Up to US$20,000, maximum visa bond per applicant. - 50 countries affected by the permanent program. - August 3, 2026, effective date for the permanent program. - B-1 and B-2 categories, the tourist and business visitor visa types that the program covers. ## Why it matters The visa bond requirement makes travel to the US significantly more expensive for citizens of 50 countries who cannot use the visa-waiver program. A US$20,000 deposit requirement effectively bars many lower-income applicants regardless of their legitimate travel purpose, and the case-by-case consular discretion in setting amounts adds unpredictability for would-be visitors. ## What to watch - Publication of the full list of 50 affected countries. - Legal challenges to the permanent program on due-process or discrimination grounds. - Whether the bond requirement reduces visa applications or overstay rates from targeted countries. ## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens) ### Immigration-focused English-language outlet; gave the most detail on the mechanics of the program, explaining that bonds are refundable if the visitor leaves by their visa expiry date and that consular officers set amounts based on the applicant's finances and US ties - **VisaVerge** (Canada/Global, en) — VisaVerge reported the US making visa bonds permanent for 50 countries from August 3 with a US$20,000 cap, explaining that bonds apply to B-1 and B-2 non-immigrant visa categories (tourist and business visitors), are refundable on departure, and are set per applicant by consular officers who weigh financial circumstances and ties to the US. > "The US makes visa bonds permanent for 50 countries in 2026. New US$20,000 maximum guarantee for B-1 and B-2 visitors to prevent overstays." Source: https://www.visaverge.com/news/state-department-to-make-visa-bond-requirements-permanent-with-20000-maximum/ ### US mainstream news magazine; reported the program is "set to stay" and highlighted the 50-country scope, noting consular officers assess both financial resources and US ties when setting each individual's required payment - **Newsweek** (United States, en) — Newsweek confirmed the permanent status of the program and its 50-country scope, emphasising that consular officers will assess travelers' finances and US ties on a case-by-case basis when setting refundable payment amounts. The outlet framed it as one of the Trump administration's immigration restriction measures taking permanent form. > "Consular officers will assess travelers' finances and U.S. ties when setting refundable payments under the permanent program." Source: https://www.newsweek.com/visa-bonds-up-to-20000-are-set-to-stay-these-50-countries-are-impacted-12273768 ### Moldovan press agency with EU-accession-track readership; noted the program begins August 3 and specifically mentioned US$20,000 as the cap, with a non-EU Eastern European angle on how the rule affects travelers from countries not covered by the US visa-waiver program - **Logos Press (Moldova)** (Eastern Europe, en) — Logos Press in Moldova covered the US visa bond program from an Eastern European perspective, noting the program begins August 3 and affects countries whose citizens must obtain a B-1/B-2 visa rather than travelling under the US visa-waiver program. The outlet highlighted the US$20,000 maximum as a significant potential barrier. > "Starting August 3, the US may require visa bonds of up to US$20,000 for certain tourist and business visa applicants under new immigration rules." Source: https://logos-pres.md/en/news/the-u-s-is-introducing-visa-deposits-of-up-to-20000/ ### unlabelled - **Al Arabiya (English)** (Gulf/Saudi Arabia, en) — Source: https://english.alarabiya.net/News/united-states/2026/08/01/us-to-make-visa-bond-program-permanent-for-people-from-dozens-of-countries ## Across the graph - Entities: United States --- Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/us-visa-bond-0801