The United States will permanently require visa bonds of up to $20,000 from citizens of 50 countries, the State Department announced on its website.
The department said the move makes permanent a temporary measure introduced on August 20, 2025, establishing a standing visa guarantee program. Consular officers may require applicants for nonimmigrant visas to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of being issued a visa, according to the statement.
Thirty of the 50 affected countries are in Africa, the department specified.
Separately, the New York Times reported that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been conducting mass detentions of foreign nationals with expired visas at airports across the country. ICE officers dressed in plain clothes have been carrying out operations on domestic flights, with similar actions conducted at at least 15 airports in the past week, the newspaper said. The detentions have affected even foreign nationals who hold valid work permits.
