The visa bond policy, officially announced via the State Department’s website on August 5, 2025, will apply starting August 20, 2025, to eligible B-1/B-2 visa applicants holding passports from Malawi and Zambia. Photo: expeditetravelservices.com

Only two African nations—Malawi and Zambia—are currently listed. This clarification provides much-needed relief for Caribbean travelers who had expressed concerns about possible inclusion in the visa bond pilot program, which imposes a refundable bond of up to $15,000 on applicants from countries with high overstay rates.

The visa bond policy, officially announced via the State Department’s website on August 5, 2025, will apply starting August 20, 2025, to eligible B-1/B-2 visa applicants holding passports from the two named countries.

This announcement quells weeks of speculation and anxiety, particularly among Caribbean states with Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs that were previously feared to be under scrutiny. Many saw the pilot bond policy as a potential travel barrier for low- and middle-income Caribbean nationals.

Caribbean Countries Not on the List

As it stands, nationals of Caribbean countries including Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are not affected by this visa bond requirement.

According to the U.S. State Department, the program was developed based on B-1/B-2 visa overstay rates, as reported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in its FY2023 Overstay Report. Only countries with significantly high overstay rates were considered.

While Caribbean nations are not currently on the list, observers warn that inclusion in future iterations of the pilot is possible depending on changing immigration patterns. For now, regional leaders and travelers have expressed relief and cautious optimism.

The decision not to include Caribbean countries marks a significant outcome for a region deeply intertwined with U.S. trade, tourism, education, and diaspora relationships.