The United States Department of State announced that Zambian and Malawian passport holders who are applying for specific categories of US visas will need to pay bonds of up to $15,000 beginning later this month.
According to a notice published on the department’s website, this initiative is part of a newly introduced 12-month pilot program designed to address the high rates of visa overstays from various nations visitors including these two southern African countries. It pertains to prospective visitors applying for temporary US business or tourist visas.
“Starting August 20, 2025, any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond in amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, determined at time of visa interview,” US State Department’s notice stated.
The bond will be refunded in full if the applicant meets all requirements of the non-immigrant visa, which includes leaving the US by the specified date and following the terms of the bond, the notice said.
According to a spokesperson for the State Department, the countries would be selected based on “elevated overstay rates, inadequacies in screening and vetting processes, apprehensions related to obtaining citizenship through investment without a residency prerequisite, and considerations of foreign policy.”
Since his return to the White House in January, 2025, United States President Donald Trump has adopted a stringent approach to immigration, enhancing border security measures and increasing the apprehension of illegal aliens.
In June, Trump signed an executive order that enacted entry restrictions on citizens from 19 states, citing concerns over national security and “unacceptable” numbers of visa overstays. Passport holders from seven African countries – Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan – were included in the blacklist. Additionally, Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo were among seven other nations subjected to partial restrictions as per the directive.
In July of this year, Washington revealed its modified “reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy,” which now limits visa term to three months and imposes stricter entry requirements for the majority of travelers from nations such as Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar characterized this action as a “coercive” effort by the Trump administration to compel African nations to accept deported foreigners considered unsuitable to remain in the United States.
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