ISTANBUL

The US has expanded its visa bond policy, requiring certain visitor visa applicants from 38 countries to post refundable security bonds of up to $15,000, the State Department said Tuesday.

Under the updated rules, which will take effect on Jan. 21, nationals of newly added countries applying for tourist and business visas will be subject to the bond requirement. Bond amounts will range from $5,000 to $15,000 and will be determined by consular officers during visa interviews.

According to information published on the State Department’s website, posting a bond does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.

Applicants instructed to pay without approval from a consular officer will not receive a refund.

Those granted visas must enter the US through one of three designated airports: Boston Logan, John F. Kennedy or Washington Dulles International Airport.

The latest expansion adds 25 countries to the program, bringing the total number subject to the visa bond requirement to 38. Most of the countries are in Africa, with others in Latin America and Asia.

Countries newly added to the list include Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

They join Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Zambia on the list that took effect on Jan. 1.

The visa bond requirement applies to certain B1/B2 visa applicants and does not alter other US entry programs, the State Department said.

The bond initiative was launched as a pilot program in August 2025 and has since been expanded as part of broader efforts by the administration to tighten immigration and entry requirements.