United States | State Department adds The Gambia to visa bond pilot program

The U.S. State Department has updated its list of countries subject to visa bond requirements under the Temporary Final Rule pilot program to include The Gambia.

Key Points:

• The State Department issued a visa news alert adding nationals from The Gambia — in addition to nationals from Malawi and Zambia — as subject to visa bonds based on high visa overstay rates.
• The pilot will run for 12 months from Aug. 20, 2025, until Aug. 5, 2026.
• The pilot program will be limited to foreign nationals who are: applying for B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visas and are nationals of countries that the State Department has identified: (1) as having high visa overstay rates; (2) where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient; or (3) as offering Citizenship By Investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement.
• Visa applicants who are found eligible for a B-1/B-2 visa, but who are subject to the pilot program, will be required to pay a bond in the amount of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000.
• During the pilot, there will not be a waiver application process.

Additional Information: The launch of the visa bond pilot program was announced in August. More details on the bond payment process, required ports of entry, visa bond compliance and visa bond breach can be found here. The pilot program requiring bonds is intended to serve as a financial guarantee to encourage compliance with visa terms, particularly timely departure from the U.S. The pilot program will assess the effectiveness of financial deterrents in reducing visa overstays.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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