The United States will require visitors from Malawi and Zambia to pay a bond of up to \$15,000 for tourist or business visas. The policy, announced by the State Department on Tuesday, takes effect on August 20 as part of a one-year pilot project.
Officials say the measure is aimed at curbing visa overstays, a growing concern under the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on immigration. The bond will be refunded if visitors comply with visa terms but forfeited if they remain in the US past their allowed stay.
“This targeted, common sense measure reinforces the administration’s commitment to US immigration law,” said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
The announcement follows months of tightening visa restrictions, particularly on African countries, as part of Trump’s anti-immigration agenda. Malawi and Zambia—two poor, landlocked nations in southern Africa—send relatively few travelers to the United States each year.
US officials defended the decision, calling the program a “key pillar” in protecting national security from what they described as visa overstays.
The pilot program initially concealed the list of affected countries, revealing them only after confirming the plan’s implementation. While critics view the bond as an unfair burden on impoverished nations, supporters say it will enforce accountability in the visa system.
