The Department of State has identified nationals from these countries as needing visa bonds. The implementation dates are in parentheses:
This is outlined in INA Section 221(g)(3) and the Temporary Final Rule (TFR) establishing the pilot program. Visa overstay rates are based on the B1/B2 overstay rate per the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report.
Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The amount is determined at the time of the visa interview. The applicant must also submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352. Applicants must agree to the terms of the bond through the Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform Pay.gov. This requirement applies regardless of place of application.
Applicants should submit Form I-352 to post a bond only after a consular officer directs them to do so. Applicants will get a direct link to pay through Pay.gov. They must not use any third-party website for posting the bond. The U.S. Government is not responsible for any money paid outside of its systems.
A bond does not guarantee visa issuance. If someone pays fees without a consular officer’s direction, this person will not get that money back.
Required ports of entry
As a condition of the bond, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must enter and exit the United States through the designated ports of entry listed below. Not doing this might lead to a denied entry or a departure that is not properly recorded:
Visa bond compliance
The Department of Homeland Security will send cases where the visa holder may have broken the visa bond terms to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is to determine if there was a breach. It includes, but is not limited to, these situations:
