CBP ISSUES GUIDANCE ON VISA BOND PILOT PROGRAM
January 9, 2026
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On December 22, 2025, CBP issued a bulletin clarifying visa bond obligations imposed by the U.S. Department of State’s Visa Bond Pilot Program (“VBPP”). After determining earlier this year that nationals from certain countries need visa bonds before traveling to or from the United States, the State Department implemented the pilot program to require any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of the countries listed below to post a visa bond in connection with applying for B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visas. Citizens and nationals of the following countries are subject to the VBPP:
- Bhutan (effective January 1, 2026)
- Botswana (effective January 1, 2026)
- Central African Republic (effective January 1, 2026)
- Guinea (effective January 1, 2026)
- Guinea Bissau (effective January 1, 2026)
- Namibia (effective January 1, 2026)
- Turkmenistan (effective January 1, 2026)
- Malawi (effective August 20, 2025)
- Zambia (effective August 20, 2025)
- The Gambia (effective October 11, 2025)
- Mauritania (effective October 23, 2025)
- Sao Tome and Principe (effective October 23, 2025)
- Tanzania (effective October 23, 2025)
All visa holders who have posted a visa bond under the VBPP must enter and exit the United States through one of the following ports of entry:
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
- Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Carriers could be subject to civil penalties for each passenger from the above-referenced countries who fails to comply with visa bond requirements. Please also note that visa bonds issued under the VBPP are for single entries only with payment being made through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform Pay.gov.
Eckert Seamans’ Aviation Blog 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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