(CNW)- Citizens of four Caribbean countries — Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, and Antigua and Barbuda — are among nationals who may be required to post a visa bond of up to US$20,000 before receiving certain US visitor and business visas.
The US government made its Visa Bond Program permanent on Aug. 3, following what it described as a successful 12-month pilot launched in August 2025.
Under the finalized rule, nationals of designated countries applying for B-1 business or B-2 tourist visas may be required by US consular officers to provide a refundable financial guarantee before their visas are issued.
The bond can be set at US$10,000, US$15,000 or US$20,000. Officers are generally expected to set the amount at US$15,000, although it may be reduced or increased based on an applicant’s individual circumstances.
Factors that may be considered include the applicant’s purpose of travel, employment, income, education, skills and ties to the United States.
The bond is not an additional visa application fee and does not guarantee that an applicant will receive a visa.
Instead, the US government describes it as a financial guarantee intended to encourage travelers to comply with the terms of their visas, maintain lawful immigration status and leave the United States within their authorized period of stay.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda has already indicated that it is lobbying Washington to remove its citizens from the visa bond requirement.
How the visa bond works
Applicants from designated countries are advised to make payments only after receiving official instructions from a US consular officer. Payments are processed electronically through the designated US government system.
US authorities have also warned travelers to rely on information provided directly by US embassies and consulates and to avoid unofficial websites or third parties when making bond payments.
The requirement does not apply automatically to every citizen of a designated country or to every US visa category. It specifically applies to covered B-1 and B-2 visa applications.
Applicants who are otherwise eligible for a visa will generally have to post the assigned bond before the visa can be issued.
A waiver may be granted if US authorities determine that waiving the requirement would serve a national or humanitarian interest. Applicants cannot independently apply for such a waiver.
Travelers subject to the bond must enter and leave the United States through commercial airports, including approved US Customs and Border Protection preclearance locations. Land and sea ports generally cannot be used to meet the program’s entry and exit requirements.
The bond is refunded when the traveler complies with the conditions, typically by departing the United States within the authorized period. It may also be returned if the applicant is ultimately denied the visa or is denied admission at a US port of entry.
No interest is paid on refunded bonds.
However, the full bond may be forfeited if a traveler overstays the authorized period or substantially violates other conditions associated with the bond.
Why countries are selected
The finalized rule identifies several factors that the US government may consider when deciding which countries are subject to the program.
These include visa overstay rates, information-sharing arrangements with US authorities, the ability to verify identities, access to criminal records, screening procedures and the security of travel and civil documents.
The rule does not identify citizenship-by-investment programs as the sole basis for a country’s inclusion. Instead, it points to a broader range of security, immigration and document-verification considerations.
The policy could have a significant effect on travel plans for Caribbean residents subject to the requirement, particularly business travelers and families who may need to place thousands of dollars on deposit before obtaining a US visitor visa.
The US Department of State’s list includes roughly 50 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and other regions in addition to the four Caribbean countries.
Washington has indicated that countries can be added to or removed from the program as conditions change.
For travelers from the affected Caribbean countries, the requirement means that obtaining a US visitor or business visa could involve a substantial upfront financial commitment, even though the bond is generally refundable if the traveler complies with its conditions. (caribbeannationalweekly.com)
