Ndiho Media,LLC.

By Ndiho Media Staff

The United States has made permanent a controversial visa-bond program that requires some business and tourist visa applicants to deposit up to $20,000 before entering the country.

Under the new rule, consular officers may require B-1 and B-2 visa applicants from 50 designated countries to post refundable bonds of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000. The previous $5,000 option has been eliminated, while the maximum has risen from $15,000.

Africa bears the greatest impact, accounting for 30 of the 50 countries:

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The other 20 countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cuba, Dominica, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Venezuela.

The bond is returned if the traveler follows the visa rules and leaves the United States on time. However, no interest is paid while the government holds the money, and paying it does not guarantee visa approval.

The State Department says the pilot program reduced overstays among bonded travelers to nearly zero. But business and tourist visa issuance from affected countries reportedly fell by about 83 percent.

That raises a difficult question: Did the program improve compliance, or did it simply make travel unaffordable?

In many affected countries, $15,000 represents several years of income. Legitimate travelers—including entrepreneurs, researchers and families—may have strong reasons to return home but lack access to that much cash.

Critics argue that the policy risks turning visa screening into a test of wealth rather than risk. It also gives Washington added leverage when negotiating with governments over deportations, security cooperation and information sharing.

The bond may be refundable, but for those unable to raise the money, America remains financially out of reach.