The Department of State (DOS) published a final rule on August 3, 2026, making the visa bond program a permanent part of the B-1/B-2 visa process. The rule implements Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which directed DOS to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the program. DOS moved to finalize the rule just two days before the pilot’s scheduled 12-month run was set to expire on August 5, 2026, rather than letting it lapse.
On August 3, 2026 the DOS published a final rule for the visa bond program regarding the B-1/B-2 visa. This final rule was made to comply with Executive Order 14,159 “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which ordered DOS to work with DHS to make the visa bond program permanent. DOS released a final rule only two days before the pilot program’s 12 month expiration on August 5, 2026 instead of allowing the program to expire.
Background
The program broadened its scope to Ethiopia, Cambodia, Georgia, Mongolia, and Tunisia on April 2, 2026. The addition of these countries brings the total number of affected countries to 50. DOS has indicated that the list may continue to change, sometimes with limited advance notice. DOS has indicated that the list may continue to change, sometimes with limited advance notice.
Under the pilot version of the program, consular officers could require a bond before issuing a B-1 or B-2 visitor’s visa. The standard bond amount was $10,000, reduced to $5,000 for applicants facing financial hardship or increased to $15,000 for those considered higher risk. Payments went through Pay.gov, with the funds held by the U.S. Treasury under DHS’s direction.
Final Rule Details
Visa issuances from the affected countries fell 83 percent by July 2026 compared with the same ten-month period the year before. DOS pointed to that drop as evidence the bonds were working, and used the final rule to raise the amounts rather than scale the program back. The bond tiers now stand at $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000, up from the pilot’s $5,000-to-$15,000 range, with a consular officer still setting the amount case by case based on the applicant’s circumstances.
Beyond the higher bond amounts, the final rule also:
- Sets the criteria consular officers use to identify which applicants must post a bond
- Establishes procedures for designating and announcing additional countries going forward, with DOS able to add a country on 15 days’ notice
- Spells out the formal terms and conditions governing the program
The traveler gets a full refund if they comply with the terms of their nonimmigrant status and depart the U.S. on time. The government keeps the bond if they don’t comply.
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