Updated October 30, 2026

US visa bond for B1/B2 visitors: amounts, countries, payment and refunds

The US visa bond is a cash bond of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 that some B1/B2 applicants must post before their visa is issued. It applies to nationals of countries on the State Department's visa bond list. The consular officer sets it at the interview, after finding you otherwise eligible. The money comes back if you follow the bond's terms and is forfeited if you break them.

The program began as a 12-month pilot on August 20, 2025 and was made permanent by a final rule published August 3, 2026. As of October 30, 2026, that rule sets the amounts, the payment steps, the airports bonded travelers must use and the rules for getting the money back. This guide walks through each one.

What is the US visa bond?

A visa bond is money posted with the US government as a condition of getting a B1/B2 visitor visa. It's meant to make sure you keep to your status and leave the US on time. The legal basis is section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which lets consular officers require a bond from a B1/B2 applicant who is otherwise eligible for the visa.

• The pilot. A temporary final rule, published August 5, 2025, set up a 12-month Visa Bond Pilot Program, in effect from August 20, 2025 until August 5, 2026. Pilot bonds were $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000.
• The permanent program. A final rule published and effective August 3, 2026 made the program permanent and raised the levels to $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000. It says nationals already covered under the pilot stay covered.
• Who it covers. Only B1, B2 and combined B1/B2 visa applicants who are nationals of listed countries. The rule says a country in the Visa Waiver Program can't be included.

The State Department's page says the requirement applies to any citizen or national traveling on a passport from a listed country, regardless of where they apply. So applying in a third country doesn't avoid it.

Which countries are subject to visa bonds?

The State Department keeps the list on its Countries Subject to Visa Bonds page. The newest version we could read was last updated May 13, 2026. It names 50 countries, the same 50 as the State Department's March 18, 2026 fact sheet. The page may have changed since, so treat this table as a dated snapshot:

The list changes. Under the final rule, a new country is announced on travel.state.gov at least 15 days before its bond starts, and a removal takes effect right away. Check the State Department's countries page before you apply.

How much is the visa bond, and who decides the amount?

The consular officer decides. As of October 30, 2026, the final rule gives officers three levels and says when each one fits:

The rule says officers weigh the totality of your circumstances, including what you say on the visa application or in the interview about your purpose of travel, current job, income, skills and education. Bonds are posted in US dollars only. The rule also says the $20,000 maximum adjusts for inflation starting October 1, 2027, and every seven years after that.

What happens at the visa interview when a bond applies?

You apply the normal way: a DS-160, the visa fee and an interview at a US embassy or consulate. The final rule describes what happens next:

1. The officer decides if you qualify. During the interview, the officer first decides whether you are otherwise eligible for the visa and whether the bond program covers you.
2. You're told the amount. If it does, the officer tells you that a bond is required and whether it is $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000.
3. Your case is held under 221(g). The officer refuses the visa under section 221(g) for now, so you can post the bond. Posting the full amount overcomes that refusal. Our 221(g) guide explains how a 221(g) works in general.
4. You get a notice and a payment link. The officer gives you a notice explaining the bond, and a link to the payment platform is sent to the contact details on your application.
5. The visa is issued after payment. Once the bond is posted, the consular section contacts you to finish. If the officer still finds you eligible, the visa is issued with an annotation showing a bond was posted. The rule says it's valid for three months (single or multiple entry) or up to 12 months (multiple entry), depending on reciprocity.

The bond doesn't replace the usual questions. You still have to qualify as a visitor first, and a 214(b) refusal ends the case before any bond comes up (see our 214(b) refusal guide). The State Department also says a bond doesn't guarantee a visa. If the officer later finds you ineligible, the rule says the visa is refused and the bond is canceled.

What this means for your answers: the officer sets the amount from what you say about your trip, job, income and US contacts, so answer truthfully and in line with your DS-160. Our B1/B2 interview questions guide covers what officers ask, and US visa interview tips cover the day itself.

How do you pay the visa bond?

Only after a consular officer tells you to, and only through the link you're given. The State Department says not to use any third-party website, and that fees paid without an officer's direction won't be returned. The US Mission in Nigeria gives the same instruction to Nigerian applicants.

• The form. Through the link, you submit the Department of Homeland Security bond form. The pilot used Form I-352, Immigration Bond. The final rule says the permanent program uses Form I-352B, an updated version of it.
• The platform. The payment platform is run by the Treasury Department. The final rule says you pay the bond through www.pay.gov and then return to the consular section to finish processing.
• How you pay. In US dollars, electronically, for the full amount. Depending on your country, options can include bank transfer, international wire, digital wallets or cards. Card fees and exchange fees fall on the payer.
• Timing. Settlement can take several business days, depending on the payment method. You get a payment confirmation number.
• Someone else can pay. The rule allows the bond to be posted by you or on your behalf. The person who pays (the obligor) is notified if the bond is breached.

Which airports must visa bond holders use?

Under the final rule, you must enter and leave the US through a commercial airport of entry, which includes CBP Preclearance locations. Land and sea ports of entry aren't allowed. The State Department's page (May 13, 2026 version) adds that charter flights and general aviation aren't allowed either, and warns that using another port might lead to denied entry or a departure that isn't properly recorded.

The rule allows a side trip to Canada or Mexico under the automatic revalidation rules, but your final departure from the US must be through a commercial US airport. The 2025 pilot rule first limited bonded travelers to pre-selected ports announced on travel.state.gov. By May 13, 2026, the State Department's page already allowed all commercial airports of entry, and the permanent rule now sets that in the regulation.

When do you get the visa bond back, and when is it forfeited?

The final rule says the bond is canceled and the money returned, based on DHS travel records, in these cases:

• Your visa expires and you never traveled to the US.
• Your visa expires, you're not in the US, you left through a commercial airport and you kept to the visa's terms.
• Your visa expired during a lawful stay and you left on time through a commercial airport.
• CBP found you inadmissible at the port of entry and canceled your visa.
• You got an approved extension of stay or change of status and left by the new date through a commercial airport.

The money goes back in US dollars to the original form of payment, with no interest. It can be reduced through the Treasury Offset Program if the payer owes certain government debts. If you decide not to travel, the rule lets you ask a consular section abroad to cancel the bond before the visa expires. The officer confirms you didn't travel and cancels the visa.

The whole bond is forfeited if you substantially break its terms. The rule lists these breaches:

• Substantially violating a condition of your status set out on the bond form
• Staying past the end of your authorized stay
• Filing a late request for a change of status or an extension of stay
• Not leaving within 10 days after a timely extension or change of status request is denied
• Filing for asylum or other humanitarian protection on Form I-589

A timely extension or change of status request isn't itself a breach, but the rule says USCIS may count the bond as a negative factor when it decides that request. DHS makes the final breach decision and notifies the payer in writing, and the decision can be appealed under DHS instructions.

Can the visa bond be waived?

There's no application for a waiver. The final rule lets the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, or a designee, waive the bond for a person, a country or a category of people when a waiver isn't contrary to the national interest. A consular officer may recommend a waiver when it would advance a national or humanitarian interest, based on your purpose of travel and job as described in your application and interview. The rule's examples are travel by US government employees and urgent humanitarian needs.

On September 16, 2026, a delegation of authority published in the Federal Register gave that waiver power to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services. The Assistant Secretary can still use the power too. As of October 30, 2026, these officials decide waivers, and applicants can't request one themselves.

Applying from a bond country with a parent's visit in mind? See B2 visa interview questions for parents. To rehearse the interview itself, use the practice box at the end of this page to start a B1/B2 mock interview.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.