Starting August 3, the United States will begin permanently applying a system of requiring a deposit of up to $20,000 in the process of applying for tourist and business visas for certain foreign citizens.
According to the U.S. State Department, this requirement applies to citizens of countries assessed as having a high risk of violating the duration of stay in the country. Earlier, in August 2025, the U.S. launched a pilot bond program to prevent overstays.
Under this program, consular officers could require an applicant to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The bond amount was returned after the person left the U.S. in the prescribed manner.
Under the new procedure, some foreigners applying for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas may be required to post a bond as a guarantee of compliance with the country's immigration rules and departure within the specified period.
The State Department said that consular officers may, at their discretion, set a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition for issuing a visa. A total of 50 countries have been included in the list of countries for which a bond may be required. Thirty of them are African countries, and the list also includes countries such as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Citizens of Uzbekistan, however, are not included in this list.
