Gambians Traveling to U.S. With B1/B2 Visa Must Deposit Up to $15k

29 September 2025
The Point (Banjul)

Starting October 11, 2025, any citizen or national traveling on a Gambian passport who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, according to the U.S. State Department.

The Department of State has identified nationals from these counties as needing visa bonds. The implementation dates are in parentheses:

The Gambia (October 11, 2025)

Malawi (August 20, 2025)

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Zambia (August 20, 2025)

This is outlined in INA Section 221(g)(3) and the Temporary Final Rule (TFR) establishing the pilot program. It is based on the B1/B2 overstay rate per the Department of Homeland Security's FY 2024 Overstay Report. This report was last updated on July 16, 2025.

Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The amount is determined at the time of the visa interview. The applicant must also submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352. Applicants must agree to the terms of the bond, through the Department of the Treasury's online payment platform Pay.gov. This requirement applies regardless of place of application.

Applicants should submit Form I-352 to post a bond only after a consular officer directs them to do so. Applicants will get a direct link to pay through Pay.gov. They must not use any third-party website for posting the bond. The U.S. Government is not responsible for any money paid outside of its systems.

A bond does not guarantee visa issuance. If someone pays fees without a consular officer's direction, they will not get that money back.

Read full details on: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/countries-subject-to-visa-bonds.html

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