By Agencies
U.S. Permanently Adopts Visa Bond Programme As Zimbabwe And 29 Other African Countries Face US$20,000 Deposits
Zimbabweans and travellers from 29 other African countries applying for certain U.S. visitor visas could now be required to pay refundable deposits of up to US$20,000 (approximately R335,600) after the United States permanently adopted its controversial visa bond programme.
The programme, which was introduced as a one-year pilot on 20 August 2025, officially became a permanent part of the U.S. immigration system on 3 August 2026 following a review by the Trump administration. It applies to selected applicants seeking B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas and is aimed at reducing visa overstays.
U.S. Makes Visa Bond Programme Permanent
The programme was initially launched with refundable bond amounts ranging from US$5,000 to US$15,000. Under the permanent rules, applicants who are selected may now be required to pay US$10,000 (approximately R167,800), US$15,000 (approximately R251,700) or US$20,000 (approximately R335,600), depending on an assessment by a U.S. consular officer. (Approximate conversions based on the current exchange rate.)
The Federal Register says the year-long trial produced enough evidence for the policy to continue.
It states:
“The year-long review provided sufficient data to conclude that the visa bond programme effectively enforced compliance with the conditions of temporary visas.”
According to the U.S. government, countries covered by the programme are identified using factors that include visa overstay data compiled by the Department of Homeland Security.
Zimbabwe Among 30 African Countries Covered
Africa is the region most affected by the programme. Of the 50 countries currently covered worldwide, 30 are African.
The African countries currently subject to the visa bond requirement are:
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
Zimbabwe
What The New Rules Mean For Travellers
The visa bond is not a visa fee. Instead, it is a refundable security deposit that may be required from selected applicants before they are allowed to travel to the United States.
U.S. authorities say the measure is intended to improve compliance with the terms of temporary visas by discouraging visitors from overstaying their authorised period of stay.
The policy also gives the U.S. State Department the flexibility to add more countries to the programme in future if they meet the selection criteria
