Zimbabweans traveling to the United States may now be required to pay a staggering $15,000 visa bond as part of a controversial immigration enforcement policy aimed at curbing visa overstays. The policy, first introduced during the Trump administration but rarely enforced, has been revived under stricter U.S. Department of Homeland Security guidelines targeting countries with high rates of visa violations.
The new bond requirement applies primarily to short-term B1/B2 visitor visas and is intended to serve as a financial guarantee that visitors will return to Zimbabwe after their permitted stay. According to the U.S. State Department, Zimbabwe was among a group of countries flagged for excessive visa overstays in recent immigration audits. The $15,000 bond is refundable, but only if the traveler departs the U.S. within their legal timeframe.
This development has sparked outrage and concern among Zimbabwean citizens and human rights advocates. Many argue that the steep cost is discriminatory and unjustly punishes ordinary travelers, families visiting relatives, and students. Others view it as another obstacle for Zimbabweans already struggling with high travel costs and currency instability.
“We understand the need for immigration control, but this bond is excessive and exclusionary,” said Tendai Mafukidze, a Harare-based immigration consultant. “Very few families can afford that kind of upfront payment just to visit a loved one or attend a graduation in the U.S.”
The U.S. embassy in Harare has yet to release detailed guidance on how the bond will be paid and refunded, but consular officials have confirmed that enforcement will be selective and based on individual visa risk assessments.
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested clarity and is reportedly in talks with American diplomats to seek exemptions or alternative compliance methods. In the meantime, travelers are advised to prepare for longer visa processing times and potentially higher travel costs. US state department has plans to issue bonds for some tourism and business visas, according to a federal notice The US state department has prepared plans to impose bonds as high as $15,000 for some tourism and business visas, according to a draft of a temporary final rule.
The bonds would be issued to visitors from countries with significant overstay rates, under a 12-month pilot program.
It renews an initiative issued by the first Trump administration in November 2020, the month that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the presidential election. That rule would have required a $15,000 bond for tourist and business travelers from two dozen countries with 10% or higher overstay rates, mostly in Africa.
The new federal registry notice of the visa bond pilot program is scheduled to be published on 5 August.
