US Visa bond program sees 97 per cent return rate

2026-03-21 - 07:13

... 50 Nations now under bond program By Vera Anyagafu The US Department of State Bureau of Global Public Affairs, reports a 97 per cent return rate for bonded travelers, with nearly 1,000 visas issued. In stark contrast, over 44,000 visitors from current Visa Bond countries overstayed during Ex-President Joe Biden’s last year in office, the statement noted. The contrast highlights the program’s effectiveness, and with the expansion to 50 countries, it’s likely to curb overstays further. Effective April 2, 2026, foreign nationals from the affected countries will need to post a $15,000 bond before receiving B1 or B2 visas for business and tourism to the US. The State Department’s April 2 action will apply the visa bond policy to 12 additional nations, and may continue to place Visa Bonds on countries based on a range of immigration risk factors. The visa bond program has already proven effective at drastically reducing the number of visa recipients who overstay their visas and illegally remain in the United States. The bond is refundable if they return home as required. SAVING TAXPAYER DOLLARS The expanded visa bond program saves the American taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars every year. “It costs the US taxpayer over $18,000 on average to remove an alien illegally present in the United States. The Department of State is saving US taxpayers up to $800 million per year that would otherwise be required to remove these aliens who overstay”, statement also noted. The 12 new countries added are Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia, joining 38 nations already in the program, including Nigeria.