Georgians Will Be Required Posting Up to $15,000 Bonds for U.S. Tourist, Business Visas

2026-03-19 - 08:22

Starting April 2, Georgia will be among 12 new countries whose nationals will be required to post a bond of $15,000 before receiving B1 or B2 visas for business and tourism in the United States, according to the March 18 factsheet released by the U.S. State Department. The U.S. introduced the visa bond pilot program last year, as part of a temporary final rule (TFR) effective for 12 months from August 20, 2025, until August 5, 2026. It affects the nationals whose countries have been identified as having high visa overstay rates. Under the pilot program, nationals of designated countries may be required to post a bond of USD 5,000, USD 10,000, or USD 15,000, depending on the applicant’s circumstances, with USD 10,000 as the standard amount. Consular officers may waive the bond requirement in limited cases, such as for travel by U.S. government officials or for urgent humanitarian reasons. According to the State Department, the bond will be returned to visa recipients who return home in compliance with visa and bond terms or do not travel. The U.S. says the program is necessary to combat illegal overstays. Alongside Georgia, the added group of countries includes Cambodia, Ethiopia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia. 38 other countries that were covered with the bond requirements include Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Georgia is the only country from Europe or the South Caucasus on the list. Earlier, in January, the U.S. also included Georgia among the 75 countries affected by the temporary suspension of U.S. immigrant visa issuance. Also Read: 22/12/2025 – EU Pushes Creation of ‘Safe Countries’ List, Potentially to Include Georgia 19/12/2025 – Georgia Could Lose Visa Free ‘Entirely’, EU Commission’s Visa Report Warns 01/12/2025 – Georgian Citizens No Longer Eligible for Simplified Employment in Poland 24/05/2024 – BREAKING: US Announces Visa Restrictions and Review of All US-Georgia Cooperation