ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES INCLUDED IN VISA BOND PILOT PROGRAM
February 16, 2026
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On January 15, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a Carrier Liaison Program bulletin concerning the State Department’s Visa Bond Pilot Program (“VBPP”). This new pilot program requires nationals of certain countries applying for B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visas to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 as a condition for issuance, if approved. To reduce visa overstays and other immigration-related abuses, those visas issued pursuant to the VBPP are for single entries only. The latest Carrier Liaison Program bulletin on this matter noted that an additional twenty-five (25) countries were recently added to the visa bond list. In total, thirty-eight (38) countries are currently included in the pilot program with effective dates as follows:
| Effective Date | Country Included in Visa Bond Pilot Program |
|
January 21, 2026 |
Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zimbabwe |
|
January 1, 2026 |
Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Namibia, Turkmenistan |
|
October 23, 2025 |
Mauritania, São Tomé and Principe, Tanzania |
|
October 11, 2025 |
The Gambia |
|
August 20, 2025 |
Malawi, Zambia |
Please also note that there are designated ports of entry through which visa bond holds must enter and exit the United States. Those specific ports of entry include the following international airports: Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
This Aviation Blog post is intended to keep readers current on developments in the law. It is not intended to be legal advice. If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr at 202.659.6622 or esahr@eckertseamans.com; Drew Derco at 202.659.6665 or dderco@eckertseamans.com; Tyler Myers at 202.659.6642 or trmyers@eckertseamans.com, or any other attorney at Eckert Seamans with whom you have been working.
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