US makes visa bonds permanent, and Tunisians can be asked for up to 20,000 dollars
A final rule from the US State Department, effective Monday 3 August, makes permanent the visa bond pilot launched in August 2025 and raises the amounts: consular officers may now require 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 dollars from B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism) visa applicants from designated countries, with 15,000 dollars as the reference figure. Tunisia has been on that list since the State Department's expansion took effect on 2 April 2026, bringing the number of covered countries to fifty. The bond is not a fee: it is refunded when the holder respects the terms of the visa and departs on time, but forfeited on overstay, late filing for an extension or change of status, or an asylum claim made after entry; the ceiling will be reindexed to inflation every seven years from 1 October 2027. The State Department says the fifty countries recorded 45,488 overstays in fiscal 2024 and fewer than fifty during the pilot's first ten months: while visa issuances fell 83 percent, a sign the requirement deters applicants outright.