Uganda, Djibouti, and Burundi have joined the United States Visa Bond Pilot Program.
The countries were listed on the program effective on January 21, 2026.
Tanzania is the only other East African Community country in the program, having been listed on October 23, 2025.
Other countries in the program include Nigeria, Malawi, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Cuba, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Namibia, Senegal, Nepal, Togo, Zimbabwe, and Turkmenistan, among others.
The U.S. Embassy in Uganda Friday announced that under the program, visa applicants who are otherwise eligible for a business or tourist (B1/B2) visa to the United States must post a bond before their visa can be issued.
“The bond will be returned to the traveler if he or she complies with all conditions of the visa and departs the United States before the period of admission expires,” the embassy statement read.
Visa Bond requirements are outlined in INA Section 221(g)(3) and the Temporary Final Rule (TFR) establishing the pilot program. Visa overstay rates are based on B1/B2 overstay rates per the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report.
Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of the listed countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The bond amount is determined at the visa interview. Applicants must also submit Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 and agree to the terms of the bond through the Department of the Treasury’s online platform Pay.gov. This applies regardless of where the application is submitted.
Applicants should submit Form I-352 only after a consular officer directs them to do so. They will receive a direct link to pay via Pay.gov and must not use any third-party websites. The U.S. Government is not responsible for any money paid outside its systems.
A bond does not guarantee visa issuance, and fees paid without consular direction will not be refunded.
Visa holders who have posted a bond must enter and exit the United States through designated ports of entry. Failure to do so could result in denied entry or improper recording of departure.
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