SCI Alerts International Members to New U.S. Visa Bond Program
On August 5, 2025, the U.S. State Department implemented a pilot visa bond program requiring visitors from certain countries to post a bond upwards of $15,000 when seeking a visa to the U.S. Some of SCI’s international members, exhibitors and conservation partners may be affected by this new requirement when traveling to the U.S. for the SCI Convention and Texas Trophy Hunter Association events.
Visitors applying for visas for business and pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the State Department as having high visa overstay rates or where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, may be subject to the Maintenance of Status and Departure Bond (visa bond). Consular officers conducting nonimmigration visa appointments will determine whether an applicant should post a bond for $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000. Visa bonds will be deposited in an account using a U.S. Treasury hosted website via Form 1-352, and will be returned upon the visitor’s departure from the U.S.
The requirement currently applies to visitors from Malawi and Zambia, but other countries will be added over coming months and posted to the U.S. State Department Travel.State.Gov website. Anyone planning to come to the U.S. for SCI events and business should contact the US consulate in their area as soon as possible to apply for their visa, as the wait time in some countries can exceed 200 days and the new visa bond program may add to wait times.
SCI can provide invitation letters to exhibitors and other international members attending SCI events. The SCI convention team will contact affected exhibitors to provide support. Other members may contact the SCI Membership Department.
The visa bond pilot program will run through August 5, 2026, at which time the State Department will review its efficacy in reducing overstays by visitors, evaluating concerns about insufficient identity verification, and the extent to which visa bonds may deter otherwise legitimate B-1 and B-2 visa applicants from traveling to the US.