by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:45 AM ET, Wed March 18, 2026
President Donald Trump’s controversial visa bond program requiring travelers from select countries, mainly from Africa, to post $15,000 in bonds to apply for U.S. entry will be expanded on April 2, according to a State Department official, bringing the total of countries in the program up to 50.
According to Reuters, the State Department official leaked the information anonymously on Wednesday, March 18, adding that the expanded program will now be required for travelers from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia.
The full list of countries requiring visa bonds is listed and updated with the new countries on the U.S. State Department’s website.
The visa bond program, a first for the nation, was originally implemented in August, 2025. Travelers who post bonds would receive their bond back when they return from the United States, or do not travel to the U.S. as intended.
The program, considered part of Trump’s strict immigration policy, which includes travel bans, too, was implemented to reduce the amount of travelers who overstay their visitor visas. Yet there are fears that making it harder to enter the United States ahead of major global events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup could hinder its projected success as a major, multi-city, global event.
The news comes just days after we reported on last year’s dip in international visitation to the United States: visitation dropped 5.5 percent for the year, with some critical markets, like Canada, dropping over 20 percent.
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