US announces first two African countries to face up to $15,000 Tourist visa bonds

The United States Department of State has announced that citizens of Malawi and Zambia will now be subject to a tourist visa bond requirement of up to $15,000 when applying for B1/B2 (business or tourist) visas.

This new policy, outlined in an official document published on the Department of State’s website on Tuesday, will take effect from August 20, 2025.

The decision stems from findings in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Fiscal Year 2023 Overstay Report, which identified elevated overstay rates among nationals from the affected countries.

According to the new regulation, eligible applicants must submit Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 and agree to the terms of the bond, which is to be paid via the Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform.

“Beginning August 20, 2025, any citizen or national travelling on a passport issued by one of these countries who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond in amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, determined at the time of the visa interview,” the U.S. State Department stated.

The bond requirement applies regardless of the applicant’s location or the country where the visa application is submitted.

This policy follows earlier reports indicating that the U.S. government was considering stricter visa conditions, including the imposition of financial bonds for applicants from countries with high overstay rates, potentially including Nigeria in the future.