The U.S. Department of State issued a notice on Wednesday, October 8th, requiring citizens or nationals of certain countries to pay a security deposit when applying for business or tourist visas (B-1/B-2). The implementation dates are indicated in parentheses:
– Mali (October 23, 2025)
– Mauritania (October 23, 2025)
– Sao Tome and Principe (October 23, 2025)
– Tanzania (October 23, 2025)
– The Gambia (October 11, 2025)
– Malawi (August 20, 2025)
– Zambia (August 20, 2025)
These regulations are found in Section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as well as in the Temporary Final Rule (TFR) establishing a pilot program, based on the B-1/B-2 visa overstay rates reported in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) 2024 Fiscal Year Entry/Exit Overstay Report.
The announcement states, “Citizens or nationals of the above-mentioned countries traveling with the respective passports and deemed eligible for B-1/B-2 visa applications must pay a deposit of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.”
The specific amount will be determined during the visa interview. Applicants must also submit the DHS Form I-352 and agree to the deposit terms through the Department of Treasury’s online payment platform Pay.gov. This requirement applies to all application locations.
Applicants can only submit the I-352 form, make the deposit, and obtain a direct payment link through Pay.gov after receiving instructions from consular officers. The use of any third-party websites to pay the deposit is strictly prohibited, and the U.S. government will not be responsible for funds paid outside its system. Any unauthorized payments made without consular instructions will not be refunded.
Paying the security deposit does not guarantee visa issuance. As a condition of paying the deposit, all visa holders who have paid the visa bond must enter and exit the United States through the designated ports of entry listed below:
– Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
– John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
– Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Failure to comply with this requirement may result in entry denial or incomplete departure records. The full deposit will be refunded if the applicant fully complies with all terms related to the nonimmigrant visa status and visa bond. The terms are detailed on the I-352 Immigration Bail Form and the Travel.State.Gov website.
The following conditions will automatically cancel the deposit and trigger a refund:
– The visa holder departs the U.S. on or before the authorized stay expiration date,
– The visa holder fails to enter the U.S. before the visa expiration date,
– The visa holder is denied entry when applying for entry at a U.S. port of entry.
If a visa holder potentially violates the terms of the visa bond, the Department of Homeland Security will refer the case to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for processing.
This measure aims to determine whether a breach has occurred, including but not limited to cases where:
– The visa holder departs the U.S. after the authorized stay period ends,
– The visa holder remains in the U.S. beyond the authorized stay period, or
– The visa holder applies to change nonimmigrant status or seeks asylum after the authorized stay period ends.