US slaps $15,000 visa bond on two African states

The State Department says the measure against Malawian and Zambian travelers is part of a pilot program targeting countries with high visa overstay records

Zambian and Malawian passport holders applying for certain categories of US visas will be required to pay bonds of up to $15,000 starting later this month, the State Department announced on Tuesday.

The measure is part of a recently launched 12-month pilot program aimed at curbing high visa overstay rates from countries including the two southern African states, the department said in a notice on its website. It applies to people seeking temporary business or tourist visas.

“Starting August 20, 2025, 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 in amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, determined at time of visa interview,” it stated.

The full amount, according to the statement, will be refunded if the applicant complies with all conditions of the non-immigrant visa, including departure from the US by the authorized date and adherence to the bond terms.

A State Department spokesperson said countries would be identified based on “high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, concerns regarding acquisition of citizenship by investment without a residency requirement, and foreign policy considerations.”

READ MORE: US pressuring Africa to accept deportees – Nigerian official

US President Donald Trump has prioritized a hardline stance on immigration since returning to the White House in January, expanding border enforcement and ramping up arrests of undocumented migrants.

In June, Trump issued an executive order imposing entry bans on citizens of 19 countries, citing national security concerns and “unacceptable” visa overstays. Passport holders from seven African states – Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan – were among those blacklisted. Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo were among seven others hit with partial restrictions under the directive.

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Last month, Washington announced changes to its “reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy,” reducing visa duration to three months and tightening entry conditions for most travelers from countries including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar described the move as a “coercive” attempt by the Trump administration to force African states into accepting foreign nationals deemed unfit to remain in the US.