Trump admin expands visa bond requirement to 38 countries, with fees up to $15K

The Trump administration is dramatically expanding a policy requiring some foreign travelers to post bonds of up to $15,000 before entering the United States.

The State Department on Tuesday added 25 countries to its visa bond list, nearly tripling the total shortly after adding seven more as part of the Trump administration's moves to tighten immigration enforcement.

There are now 38 countries subject to the requirement, most of them in Africa with others in Latin America and Asia, a move that could make obtaining a U.S. visa unaffordable for many travelers.

The bond requirement for the latest additions, including Venezuela, will take effect Jan. 21.

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Travelers eligible for a B1/B2 visa from countries on the list must post a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, with the amount set during the visa interview, according to a notice posted on the State Department's website.

Paying the bond will not guarantee a visa's approval, but the amount will be refunded should the visa be denied, or when a visa holder demonstrates compliance with the terms of the visa.

The expansion follows a pilot program launched by the State Department in August that requires certain visa applicants from countries with high overstay rates and deficient document security controls to post a bond.

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The Trump administration rolled out numerous immigration policy changes last year, impacting the way people travel, obtain visas and become citizens in the United States, with some measures scheduled to take effect in 2026.

The Trump administration requires citizens from all countries that require visas to sit for in-person interviews and disclose years of social media history, along with information about their families’ previous travel and living arrangements.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented a new rule on Dec. 26, 2025, expanding facial recognition for non-citizens entering and leaving the United States. 

President Donald Trump also recently announced the launch of the much-anticipated "Trump Gold Card," an immigration initiative designed to provide a new, streamlined path to U.S. citizenship, which he has said could generate billions of dollars.

The new countries added to the visa bond requirement beginning Jan. 21 are 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.

Countries already on the list include Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Zambia.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for comment.

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman, Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.