Traveling to the U.S. for a short business or leisure trip just got more expensive — if you’re from certain countries.
On August 5, the U.S. State Department announced a new visa bond program, set to take effect on August 20. For now, it applies only to B-1/B-2 visa applicants from Malawi and Zambia. Immigration experts, however, are watching closely, noting that additional countries could be added with just 15 days’ notice.
On paper, the program appears to be a limited trial affecting only a small group of travelers. But experts warn that behind the fine print lies a precedent with potentially far-reaching consequences for global business mobility and personal travel. Under the 12-month pilot, eligible B-1/B-2 applicants must deposit up to $15,000 before boarding their flights — a sum refunded only after they return home on time.
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California-based Aizada Marat, a Harvard-educated attorney and CEO of the legal tech startup Alma — which helps professionals navigate U.S. immigration — raises an important point about the new program.
“If you’re from one of the designated countries, you’ll now need to post a bond of up to $15,000 just to get a B-1 business visa,” she explains. “That’s $15,000 tied up before you can even attend that conference in San Francisco or meet clients in New York.”
Marat notes that while the bond is refunded if travelers leave the U.S. on time, the process can take months. The catch, she says, is “you’re essentially giving the government an interest-free loan every time you travel for business. For professionals who travel frequently, this creates a real cash-flow problem. Imagine needing to post bonds for multiple trips throughout the year — you could have over $50,000 tied up at any given time.”
U.S. officials say the logic behind the program is to deter visa overstays from countries with higher non-compliance rates. Immigration lawyers, however, point to the practical and diplomatic costs of such a move. For small and mid-sized companies sending teams for short-term projects, it could mean parking tens of thousands of dollars — or more — in Washington’s coffers with every trip, funds that could otherwise support operations or payroll.
Although India is not on the initial list, the development is being closely monitored by Indian tech firms, global mobility managers, and families. For Indian Americans who regularly sponsor B-1/B-2 visas for elderly parents, the idea of posting large sums each year — if implemented — would be more than a bureaucratic inconvenience; it could become a significant financial strain.
With India accounting for a significant share of B-1 business visa applicants, the question arises: how likely is it that Indian nationals will fall under the new program — and what impact could that have on the Indian workforce community in the U.S.?
Immigration attorney and Head of Immigration Strategy at Alma, Jihan Merlin, says:
“India has a relatively low B-1/B-2 overstay rate. While other countries may be added with 15 days’ notice, the likelihood of India being added is currently low, as the Department of State has indicated it is targeting countries with high visa overstay rates.”
She notes that India’s overstay rate is under 2%, compared to more than 14% for Malawi and over 10% for Zambia. “Similarly, with the exception of Laos — which has a B-1/B-2 overstay rate of 34.77%, according to DHS data for FY2023 — most Southeast Asian countries have relatively low overstay rates and are unlikely to be targeted under the current framework, though the Department of State may change its policies at any time,” she adds.
Whether or not India is ultimately included, the concern remains: the policy signals that U.S. immigration tightening can extend to unprecedented lengths, and that travelers should be prepared for heightened scrutiny and unexpected financial requirements. With only 15 days’ notice before rollout, there is little time to adjust budgets or travel schedules. The precedent set by targeting Zambia and Malawi also raises questions about whether this “pilot” is truly a limited measure or a test case for broader restrictions.
Merlin agrees, noting: “Regardless of the visa bond requirement — which does not currently impact India or Southeast Asian countries — the tightening of visa interview waiver eligibility under the State Department’s July 2025 Interview Waiver update, [combined] with rising scrutiny, could worsen existing delays. [This includes] at U.S. consulates in India, where visa wait times have [already] been steadily increasing.”