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Citizens of 7 more countries need to now pay $15,000 bonds to apply for US visas

The new list took effect on January 1, following a quiet update by the State Department last week.

2 min readUpdated: Jan 6, 2026 05:27 PM IST

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The expansion is the latest move by the Donald Trump administration to tighten US entry requirements. (File photo)

The Trump administration has added seven countries, including five in Africa, to the list of nations whose passport holders must post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for entry into the United States.

With these additions, the total number of affected countries has risen to 13, all but two of which are located in Africa. The requirement significantly increases the cost of obtaining a US visa, putting it out of reach for many applicants.

According to a notice published on the US State Department’s travel.state.gov website, the newly added countries are Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan.

The new list took effect on January 1, following a quiet update by the State Department last week.

What the restrictions mean

The expansion is the latest move by the Trump administration to tighten US entry requirements. These measures include mandatory in-person visa interviews for applicants from all visa-required countries.

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Applicants are also required to disclose years of social media histories, along with detailed information about their own and their families’ past travel and living arrangements.

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US officials have defended the visa bond system, which ranges from $5,000 to $15,000, arguing that it helps ensure visitors do not overstay their visas.

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Payment of the bond does not guarantee that a visa will be approved. However, officials state that the bond is refunded if the visa is denied or once the visa holder demonstrates compliance with the terms of their stay.

Countries previously added in list

The newly listed nations join Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, which were added to the visa bond list in August and October of last year.

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