The United States is moving to permanently establish a visa bond program, a policy shift confirmed by a draft notice published in the Federal Register on Friday.
The administration concluded that a nearly year-long review provided sufficient data to demonstrate that the bond requirement effectively enforces compliance with visa conditions.
The measure is expected to primarily affect applicants from African countries, where the program has been most actively utilized.
The decision marks a formalization of a policy that had previously operated on a provisional basis.
By codifying the requirement, the government aims to streamline the enforcement mechanism for visa conditions, reducing administrative ambiguity for consular officers processing applications abroad.
The Federal Register notice indicates that the data collected during the review period supported the efficacy of the bonds in ensuring adherence to immigration terms.