US Visitor Visa Bonds Expand, Entry Airports Limited

The United States has expanded its visitor visa bond program, raising both the cash burden and the routing complexity for some inbound trips. Travelers from newly added countries now face refundable bond requirements of $5,000.00 (USD) to $15,000.00 (USD) when applying for B1 and B2 visitor visas. If the bond applies, travelers also have to plan their arrival and departure through a limited set of designated U.S. airports, which can force extra domestic connections and buffer time.

The US visitor visa bond requirement now works as a combined affordability and port of entry constraint, which can change whether a trip is feasible at all, and which U.S. gateway makes operational sense.

As of January 1, 2026, the State Department list includes Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Namibia, Turkmenistan, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, The Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, with the newest seven additions taking effect on January 1, 2026. For applicants who are otherwise eligible for a B1 and B2 visa, the bond amount is set at the visa interview, and the applicant is directed to complete the bond process using Department of Homeland Security Form I 352 and the Treasury hosted Pay.gov platform. The State Department also warns that applicants should not attempt to pay outside official instructions, because paying fees without a consular officer's direction can result in money not being returned.

The other major operational change is airport constraint. As a condition of the bond, bonded visa holders must enter and exit through Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), or Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), rather than choosing from the full menu of U.S. gateways that typically match their itinerary.

Who Is Affected

This change primarily affects travelers who carry passports from the 13 listed countries and who are applying for B1 and B2 visitor visas for tourism or business visits. It can also affect families and groups unevenly, because the bond requirement stacks per applicant, which can turn a normal visa budgeting exercise into a major temporary cash commitment.

The constraint is not just financial. Many long haul itineraries to the United States are built around arriving at the most convenient gateway for onward travel, such as Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Miami International Airport (MIA), Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), or San Francisco International Airport (SFO). If a bonded traveler must enter via BOS, JFK, or IAD, they may need to add a domestic positioning flight, rebook onto a different alliance or hub flow, or add an overnight in the gateway city when same day connections do not line up.

That is where the disruption propagates beyond the visa interview. First order effects show up as longer lead times, higher upfront cash needs, and a narrower set of international flight options into BOS, JFK, and IAD. Second order effects then hit domestic air connections, because extra legs increase missed connection risk and can complicate baggage transfers, and they also hit hotels, because late arrivals or forced next day domestic departures can compress airport area inventory and raise last minute rates.

What Travelers Should Do

If you are applying for a U.S. visitor visa on a passport from one of the listed countries, treat routing as part of the visa plan, not a separate step. Build your draft itinerary around BOS, JFK, or IAD as the international arrival point, then price onward domestic flights with generous connection buffers, and identify a realistic overnight option near the airport in case the domestic leg no longer works same day.

If your trip was designed around arriving at another gateway, rebook sooner rather than later when the cost difference is tolerable. A practical threshold is this, if switching to BOS, JFK, or IAD adds an extra domestic leg plus an overnight, the total cost and time can exceed the value of the original itinerary, and it may be smarter to redesign the trip around the Northeast or Mid Atlantic first, or to delay travel until you can secure schedules with daylight buffers and fewer segments.

Over the next 24 to 72 hours, monitor three things before you lock anything in. First, confirm the most current State Department country list and implementation dates for your passport. Second, watch international schedules and seat availability into BOS, JFK, and IAD for your travel window, because demand concentration can tighten remaining inventory quickly. Third, track the refund and compliance terms communicated at the visa interview and in official guidance, because the bond is refundable, but it is still cash tied up until compliance is confirmed.

How It Works

The visa bond pilot program is designed to reduce visa overstays by requiring certain B1 and B2 applicants to post a refundable bond. The bond does not guarantee visa issuance, and applicants are instructed to submit the bond paperwork only after a consular officer directs them to do so. If approved for issuance subject to the bond, the applicant completes Department of Homeland Security Form I 352 and pays through Pay.gov as instructed.

Refundability matters for traveler planning, but so does timing. Reporting from The Associated Press and The Washington Post notes that the bond is refundable if the visa is denied, or after the traveler demonstrates compliance with visa terms and departs within the authorized period, but travelers should still plan for the funds to be unavailable for some time after travel.

The designated port requirement is what turns a paperwork rule into an itinerary constraint. Bonded travelers must use BOS, JFK, or IAD for both entry and exit, which can force itinerary redesign for travelers who would otherwise use other hubs. In practice, that can shift demand into specific transatlantic and long haul banks, increase domestic repositioning segments, and create extra hotel nights when same day onward connections are no longer robust.

This new friction also stacks with other U.S. entry cost changes. Travelers comparing the United States against alternate destinations may want context on how visa related charges have been rising, including Las Vegas Visitor Slump As New Visa Fee Starts.

Sources

• Countries Subject to Visa Bonds, U.S. Department of State
• US expands list of countries whose citizens must pay up to $15,000 bonds to apply for visas, The Associated Press
• U.S. mandates more foreign travelers to pay $15,000 visa bond deposits, The Washington Post
• Nonimmigrant Visa Bonds, Pay.gov
• ICE Form I-352, Immigration Bond, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Visas: Visa Bond Pilot Program, Federal Register