Visa Bond Pilot Program

On August 5, 2025 the Department of State (DOS) published in the Federal Register a temporary final rule that establishes a one-year pilot program to test a $5K, $10K, or $15K bond system for select B‑1/B‑2 visitor visa applicants from countries with high overstay rates or other conditions.

Read the rule, titled Visa Bond Pilot Program, published at 90 FR 37378 (August 5, 2025), codified at 22 CFR 41.11(c).

On the same day it published the temporary final rule in the Federal Register, DOS also published a list of two countries that will be covered by the B-1/B-2 visa bond pilot program, effective August 20, 2025.

• Malawi
• Zambia

This should be seen as an initial list, as DOS stated in the rule preamble that, "The Department will announce the covered countries via Travel.State.Gov no fewer than 15 days before the Pilot Program takes effect, and this list may be amended throughout the pilot, with 15 days from announcement to enactment."

B visas only

The visa bond pilot program will be for B-1/B-2 visitor visas only. It will not be applied to any other kind of nonimmigrant visa, including F, M, J, H, O, etc. Visa Waiver Program travelers will also fall outside the scope of the pilot program, since they do not apply for visas.

The preamble to the temporary final rule provides some context on why the pilot will cover only certain B-1 and B-2 visitor visa applicants and why it will not be applied to F-1 student visa applicants:

"Although section 221(g)(3), of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1201(g)(3), authorizes consular officers to require visa bonds from applicants for B-1/B-2 visas and F (student) visas, the Pilot Program is limited to B-1/B-2 visa applicants, because their authorized period of stay after admission to the United States is fixed by DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the port of entry and typically lasts a matter of months. CBP officers typically authorize a maximum of one year for business visitors pursuant to 8 CFR 214.2(b)(1), and typically six months for tourists, in accordance with 8 CFR 214.2(b)(2). In contrast, F-1 nonimmigrant students generally are admitted for the duration of their status as of the time this rule was published, pursuant to 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5), which commonly is multiple years. Because the Pilot Program will last only for a limited duration, F-1 nonimmigrant students, who are in most cases likely to be authorized to remain in the United States for multiple years, would be unlikely to complete the bond cycle (which ends with cancellation or breach of the bond) during the duration of the Pilot Program. B-1/B-2 visas issued to aliens covered by the Pilot Program will be annotated to reflect the visa bond requirement. That annotation may be taken into account by CBP officers which will generally limit the period of admission for any such visa holders to 30 days."

Also note that this temporary final rule instituting a B-1/B-2 visa bond pilot program is completely separate from and has nothing to do with the forthcoming Visa Integrity Fee.

Countries identified for the pilot

Publication of the country list. On the same day it published the temporary final rule in the Federal Register, DOS also published an initial list of two countries that will be covered by the B-1/B-2 visa bond pilot program, effective August 20, 2025.

1. Malawi
2. Zambia

This should be seen as an initial list, as DOS said in the rule preamble that, "The Department will announce the covered countries via Travel.State.Gov no fewer than 15 days before the Pilot Program takes effect, and this list may be amended throughout the pilot, with 15 days from announcement to enactment."

Conditions leading to a country being placed on the list. Under the pilot program, DOS may require visa bonds be paid by applicants for B-1/B-2 visas who are nationals of countries identified by the Department of State:

• as having high visa overstay rates;
• where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient; or,
• where Citizenship by Investment (“CBI”) is offered (i.e., countries that "sell" citizenship to non-citizens with no residency requirement)

In the notice of the first two countries designated in the pilot program, Malawi and Zambia, DOS states that these countries were designated "based on their B1/B2 overstay rate per the Department of Homeland Security’s FY 2023 Overstay Report."

$5K, $10K, $15K amount of the bonds

Under new 22 CFR 41.11(c)(3) consular officers will set the bond amount:

"Consular officers will set the Visa Bond amount at $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, based on a consular officer’s assessment of which amount is sufficient to ensure the alien will maintain the status under which he or she was admitted or any status subsequently acquired under section 248 of the INA and will not remain in the United States beyond the end of the alien’s authorized period of stay."

The DOS notice designating Malawi and Zambia says that the bond amount for each individual will be "determined at time of visa interview."

3-month, single entry visa duration on visas issued under the pilot, with limited 30-day admission

3-month, single entry visa duration. Under new 22 CFR 41.11(c)(3),

"Visas issued under the Visa Bond Pilot Program will be valid for a single entry to the United States within three months of the date of visa issuance."

DOS guidance at 9 FAM 401.1-4(G) confirms this, stating: 

"The validity for the duration of the visa bond pilot is a three-month, single-entry visa, unless the validity of the specified country is lower per the reciprocity table."

Likely 30-day admission to the United States. Although limits on the time a person with a B-1 or B-2 visa issued under the pilot program is admitted to the United States by CBP in those statuses does not appear in the regulatory language of the temporary final rule, DOS hints in the rule preamble hints that they might be limited to only a 30-day admission, stating: 

"B-1/B-2 visas issued to aliens covered by the Pilot Program will be annotated to reflect the visa bond requirement. That annotation may be taken into account by CBP officers which will generally limit the period of admission for any such visa holders to 30 days."

One-year duration of the pilot

The pilot will last for approximately one year, from August 20, 2025 until August 5, 2026.

At the conclusion of the pilot, DOS will no longer require posting of bonds under the temporary final rule, but the preamble to the rule makes clear that "any bonds posted under the Pilot Program will remain in effect until either breached or cancelled in accordance with their terms and conditions of issuance."

Collection of bond money

The DOS notice designating Malawi and Zambia states that:

"Starting August 20, 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 in amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000,  determined at time of visa interview.  The applicant must also submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 agreeing 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 only submit a Form I-352 to post a bond after being directed to do so by a consular officer.  Applicants will be provided a direct link and must pay via Pay.gov – applicants must not use any third-party website for posting the bond as the U.S. Government is not responsible for any money paid outside of U.S. Government systems.  

A bond does not guarantee visa issuance, and if any individual pays fees without being directed to do so by a consular officer, that money will not be returned. "

The rule preamble states that "[T]he face value of visa bonds will be deposited in the appropriate account using the Treasury-hosted https://www.Pay.Gov website via Form I-352, Immigration Bond."

The new temporary rule at 22 CFR 41.11(c)(5)(i) says:

"... Visa Bonds will be administered by the Department of the Treasury, the Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security in accordance with regulations, procedures, and instructions promulgated by DHS applicable to Form I-352, Immigration Bond."

Regarding other procedures, new temporary rule at 22 CFR 41.11(c)(5) says:

"A Visa Bond required under this paragraph (c) must be submitted via Treasury’s www.Pay.Gov interface within 30 days of notification of the bond requirement by the consular officer and will be approved by the Department of State. Upon the posting of such bond, State will receive automatic notification that the bond has been posted in a Treasury-held Department of Homeland Security account and will notify the appropriate consular section overseas."

DOS guidance in the Foreign Affairs Manual goes into other details. 9 FAM 401.1-4(H) states:

"9 FAM 401.1-4(H) Procedures Relating to Bonds

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

a. Notification to Applicant: When a bond is required of an applicant, you must notify the applicant in writing of the requirement and specify both the classification of the visa under consideration (B during a visa bond pilot) and the exact amount of the bond required. This notification must also include the applicant’s full name and visa control number. If a bond is required of more than one member of a family group, your notification must include all the information for each person for whom a bond is required. The amount of the bond for each person is to be specified. The consular section will send an email to the applicant (or for each applicant if it is a family with the applicable bond amount) with a link to Pay.Gov and further instructions on how to post the bond.

b. Form of Collateral: Payment of a bond must be made online through Pay.gov. Consular Officers must not accept bond funds in any other form (cash, checks, money orders, etc.)

c. Posting of Bond by Applicant: The applicant is expected to use the appropriate Pay.gov link to post a cash bond.

d. Posting of Bond by Interested Person: If the applicant has a friend, relative, or other interested person who is prepared to post the bond, this person may use the Pay.gov link and use the appropriate identifiers for the applicant.

e. Cancellation of Bond After Issuance of Visa: If an applicant has posted a bond and later seeks to withdraw or cancel the bond instead of traveling to the United States, the applicant must visit the consular section for cancellation of his or her visa. Upon cancellation of the physical visa using the Cancelled Without Prejudice stamp, the consular officer will enter case notes detailing the cancellation of the bond, and follow the SOP to inform KCC of the visa cancellation so that the bond may be canceled, and the collateral returned to the payer of the bond.

f. Cancellation of Bond After Applicant’s Departure from the United States: In general, CA will use DHS data through the Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS) to confirm when a bonded alien has departed from the United States to initiate bond cancellation. In some cases, when DHS has no record of the departure of an applicant for whom a bond was posted, the applicant may request to appear before a consular officer abroad to verify that he or she returned to a foreign country. In these cases, you must confirm that the applicant has departed the United States and provide the date of departure, as stated by the applicant, as well as any evidence verifying that date. The consular officer must inform KCC of the applicant's verified return so that the bond can be cancelled.

h. Notations to be Placed in Visa Issued to Applicant for Whom Bond Posted: See 9 FAM 403.9-8(B) paragraph (7)."

Bond condition: Required U.S. ports of entry for arrival and departure

The DOS notice designating Malawi and Zambia states that:

"As a condition of the bond, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must arrive to and depart from the United States via one of the ports of entry listed below.  Failure to do so may result in being denied entry or a departure not being appropriately registered:

• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)"

Breach or satisfaction of the bond

Bond breach. Individuals who are found to have substantially violated the terms or conditions of the visa bond will be considered in breach of the bond and will forfeit the bond paid. The temporary final rule preamble clarifies that if DOS makes a preliminary finding of a bond breach, it will forward the case to DHS, which is responsible for making the final determination pursuant to 8 CFR 103.6(c)(3). Current regulations at 8 CFR 103.6(e) state that DHS "shall determine whether the bond shall be declared breached or cancelled, and shall notify the obligor on Form I-323 or Form I-391 of the decision, and, if declared breached, of the reasons therefor, and of the right to appeal in accordance with the provisions of this part."

Bond satisfaction. Establishing substantial performance of the conditions of the visa bond, on the other hand, will cancel the bond. Current regulations at 8 CFR 103.6(c)(3) provide: "Substantial performance of all conditions imposed by the terms of a bond shall release the obligor from liability."

The DOS notice designating Malawi and Zambia states that:

"Visa Bond Compliance

The full visa bond amount will be returned to the applicant if the applicant complies with all the terms of the nonimmigrant visa status and with the terms of the visa bond, which are set out on the bond form (Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 Immigration Bonds) and in the Federal Register.  The bond will be canceled and the bond money will be automatically returned in the following circumstances:

• The visa holder departs from the United States on or before the date to which he or she is authorized to remain in the United States; or
• The visa holder does not travel to the United States before the expiration of the visa; or
• The visa holder applies for and is denied admission at the U.S. port of entry.

Visa Bond Breach

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for determining that a visa holder has breached the terms of the visa bond.  The Department of State will forward cases in which the visa holder appears to not have complied with the terms of the visa bond to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a breach determination, including, but not limited to, the following circumstances:

• The visa holder departs from the United States after the date to which he or she is authorized to remain in the United States,
• The visa holder remains in the United States after the date to which he or she is authorized to remain, and does not depart,
• The visa holder applies to adjust out of nonimmigrant status, including claiming asylum."

DOS describes in the preamble to the temporary final rule that:

"Bond proceeds will be returned for any visa holder who complies with the terms and conditions of the bond, based on information provided by DHS through the Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS) in the following circumstances:

• Following the timely departure from the United States of a visa holder for whom a bond was posted, as captured in the visa holder’s departure from the United States through a designated air port of entry.
• Upon expiration of the visa, if the visa holder did not travel to the United States, as captured by ADIS.
• Following CBP deeming the visa holder inadmissible and cancelling the visa by CBP at the port of entry, as captured by ADIS."

... and that:

"The applicant on any canceled bond will be entitled to a full refund. There will be no accrued interest on visa bonds that are issued and canceled as part of this pilot program. The Department also will provide the applicant with a Notice – Immigration Bond Cancelled (Form I-391), which confirms compliance with the conditions of the bond.

The Foreign Affairs Manual at 9 FAM 401.1-4(H)(f) states:

"f. Cancellation of Bond After Applicant’s Departure from the United States: In general, CA will use DHS data through the Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS) to confirm when a bonded alien has departed from the United States to initiate bond cancellation. In some cases, when DHS has no record of the departure of an applicant for whom a bond was posted, the applicant may request to appear before a consular officer abroad to verify that he or she returned to a foreign country. In these cases, you must confirm that the applicant has departed the United States and provide the date of departure, as stated by the applicant, as well as any evidence verifying that date. The consular officer must inform KCC of the applicant's verified return so that the bond can be cancelled."

See the DHS Arrival and Departure Information System page for some background information on that system.

Appeal of a bond breach determination

The new temporary final rule also states that,

"A determination of a bond breach may be appealed in accordance with instructions provided by DHS." The current Form I-352 instructs that, "DHS regulations provide that, upon notification of a breach, the obligor has 30 days in which to file an administrative appeal or motion for reconsideration of the breach."

Bonds and EOS, COS, AOS

Extension of stay (EOS). In general, a B nonimmigrant admitted to the United States through the visa bond pilot program who thereafter timely applies for and is granted an extension of stay will not be considered in breach of the bond. New 22 CFR 41.11(c)(5)(ii)(3) provides that,

"Aliens who timely file an application for extension of status which is granted are not deemed to be in breach of bond, and the bond will be canceled at the conclusion of his or her authorized period of stay."

This might be read to imply that if a bonded individual's application to extend their B status is pending on the date their B status I-94 expires and is subsequently denied, they could be considered in breach of bond.

Change of nonimmigrant status (COS). Unlike EOS, COS is not directly addressed in the regulatory language. The DOS notice designating Malawi and Zambia states that a bonded individual could be seen as in breach of bond if he or she "applies to adjust out of nonimmigrant status, including claiming asylum."

Adjustment of status to permanent resident (AOS). Like COS, AOS is not directly addressed in the regulatory language. The DOS notice designating Malawi and Zambia states that a bonded individual could be seen as in breach of bond if he or she "applies to adjust out of nonimmigrant status, including claiming asylum," which could include filing an AOS application.

DOS does say in the preamble to the temporary final rule that, as stated in the DHS 2023 entry/exit overstay report,

"if a nonimmigrant timely applies for an extension of the authorized period of admission or applies to change or adjust status, the authorized period of admission may be extended, thereby avoiding being counted as overstay."

Bonded individuals with questions about the impact of EOS, COS, or AOS on the conditions of their bond should discuss this with an experienced immigration lawyer before applying.

Bonds paid by individuals who never enter the U.S. or who are denied admission

Current regulations at 8 CFR 103.6(c)(2) provide:

"A maintenance of status and departure bond posted at the request of an American consular officer abroad in behalf of an alien who did not travel to the United States shall be canceled upon receipt of notice from an American consular officer that the alien is outside the United States and the nonimmigrant visa issued pursuant to the posting of the bond has been canceled or has expired."

The DOS notice designating Malawi and Zambia confirms that: "The bond will be canceled and the bond money will be automatically returned" if 

• ... "The visa holder does not travel to the United States before the expiration of the visa; or
• The visa holder applies for and is denied admission at the U.S. port of entry."

DOS justification for the pilot program

The preamble to the temporary final rule asserts that, "While this Pilot Program is primarily designed to study the operational feasibility of implementing visa bonds, data collected during the Pilot may also be used to determine the effectiveness of visa bonds at reducing overstays, evaluate 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 United States."

The preamble also notes that the new pilot program responds to Executive Order 14159 of January 20, 2025, Protecting The American People Against Invasion, "which directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, to 'establish a system to facilitate the administration of all bonds' under the provisions of the INA."

One main justification for the effort is DHS's annual Overstay Report. DOS cites to the data in the most recent 2023 Entry/Exit Overstay Report as a source of its assertions of overstay rates.

Finally, DOS says in the preamble that the pilot program's focus "on certain countries identified as having high visa overstay rates among aliens admitted to the United States for business or pleasure (B- 1/B-2) via air and sea ports of entry, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or which offer CBI with no residency requirement, the Department sends a message to all countries to take immediate action to encourage their nationals to comply with U.S. immigration law and address insufficient identity verification and criminal records, including for naturalized citizens of CBI countries without residency requirement."

Similarities to 2020 pilot program

The new pilot program shares some similarity to the 2020 Trump 1 administration's interim final rule that established a six-month visa bond pilot program to test a $5K, $10K, or $15K bond system for select B‑1/B‑2 applicants from countries with high overstay rates who had a DHS inadmissibility waiver. See 85 FR 74875 (November 24, 2020).

That pilot was supposed to be effective from December 24, 2020 through June 24, 2021, but in the preamble to the new final rule DHS notes that "in light of the worldwide reduction in global travel as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department did not implement the pilot and consequently it did not provide any data on the feasibility for full implementation."

Background on legal authority to collect bonds

The statutory authority that allows visa bonds is INA 221(g)/8 USC 1201(g) (the same provision DOS uses to refuse a visa in order to conduct administrative processing).

Implementing regulations are found in DOS regulations at 22 CFR 41.11 and DHS regulations at 8 CFR 103.6 and 8 CFR 221.1. The new temporary final rule implementing the visa bond pilot program temporarily amends DOS regulations at 22 CFR 41.11.

The new temporary final rule preamble specifically cites 8 USC 1201(g)(3), which prohibits a consular officer from issuing a visa if "the consular officer knows or has reason to believe that such alien is ineligible to receive a visa or such other documentation under section 1182 of this title, or any other provision of law."

The 8 USC 1201(g) prohibitions on visa issuance include an important proviso that allows B or F visa issuance upon posting of a bond if the consular officer believes an applicant is otherwise eligible for a visa:

"Provided further, That a visa may be issued to an alien defined in section 1101(a)(15)(B) or (F) of this title, if such alien is otherwise entitled to receive a visa, upon receipt of a notice by the consular officer from the Attorney General of the giving of a bond with sufficient surety in such sum and containing such conditions as the consular officer shall prescribe, to insure that at the expiration of the time for which such alien has been admitted by the Attorney General, as provided in section 1184(a) of this title, or upon failure to maintain the status under which he was admitted, or to maintain any status subsequently acquired under section 1258 of this title, such alien will depart from the United States."

The new temporary final rule implementing the pilot visa bond program focuses only on B visas. F visas are not part of the pilot program. The rule preamble states:

"Although section 221(g)(3), of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1201(g)(3), authorizes consular officers to require visa bonds from applicants for B-1/B-2 visas and F (student) visas, the Pilot Program is limited to B-1/B-2 visa applicants, because their authorized period of stay after admission to the United States is fixed by DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the port of entry and typically lasts a matter of months. CBP officers typically authorize a maximum of one year for business visitors pursuant to 8 CFR 214.2(b)(1), and typically six months for tourists, in accordance with 8 CFR 214.2(b)(2). In contrast, F-1 nonimmigrant students generally are admitted for the duration of their status as of the time this rule was published, pursuant to 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5), which commonly is multiple years. Because the Pilot Program will last only for a limited duration, F-1 nonimmigrant students, who are in most cases likely to be authorized to remain in the United States for multiple years, would be unlikely to complete the bond cycle (which ends with cancellation or breach of the bond) during the duration of the Pilot Program."

On August 5, 2025 DOS revised the Foreign Affairs Manual section that covers issuance of "maintenance of status and departure bonds" to conform to DOS's new views on the use of bonds and in response to the new temporary final rule and pilot program.

Prior to being revised, the FAM section on maintenance of status and departure bonds at 9 FAM 401.1-4(A) was titled "Bonds Should Rarely Be Used" and said that "it is Department policy that such bonds will rarely, if ever, be used" because they are cumbersome and "not effective guarantees of departure" and "many DHS offices are reluctant to accept them." The temporary final rule preamble asserted that "This view of a bond requirement is not supported by any recent examples or evidence, as visa bonds have not generally been required in any recent period..."

Effective August 5, 2025 9 FAM 401.1-4 reads in full as follows. Note that 9 FAM 401.1-4(A) is now titled "Bonds Should Be Used In Applicable Circumstances" and no longer talks about the ineffectiveness of bonds.

"9 FAM 401.1-4 Maintenance of Status and Departure Bond

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

9 FAM 401.1-4(A) Bonds Should Be Used In Applicable Circumstances

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

22 CFR 41.11(b)(2) permits you to require a maintenance of status and departure bond in certain cases, but bonds should not be applied by a consular officer without an explicit policy directive from the Visa Office. During a visa bond pilot, certain nationals may be required to pay a maintenance of status and departure bond as Department policy. No applicant should be required to pay a bond unless the applicant already overcomes 214(b). The consular officer should have no doubt of the applicant's intent to depart the United States in a timely manner, nor have concerns of visa misuse.

9 FAM 401.1-4(B) Department Approval Required in Bond Cases

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

Unless an applicant has a nationality which is identified as requiring a maintenance of status and departure bond per Department policy, you must obtain approval from the Department (CA/VO/F) before requesting that an applicant post a maintenance of status and departure bond. In general, the Department does not require visa bonds unless set by a specific policy and does not require visa bonds for F visa recipients as these visa holders enter the United States for a duration of status, and do not have fixed departure dates.

9 FAM 401.1-4(C) Bond Requirement Determined by Department Policy or by Consular Officer

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

The third provision to INA 221(g) provides for the posting of the maintenance of status and departure bond only in cases of applicants for B or F visas. Department policy will require applicants of certain nationalities to pay the bond during a pilot program. You should never rely on a bond as a substitute for a reasoned judgment with respect to the applicant’s eligibility for a visa.

9 FAM 401.1-4(D) Amount, Validity Period, and Posting of Bond

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

For the purposes of the pilot program, the maintenance of status and departure bond payment is collected by the Department of Homeland Security via Department of the Treasury hosted Pay.gov website. Bonds for this pilot are required in amounts ranging from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $15,000, in increments of $5,000.

9 FAM 401.1-4(E) Bond Posted and Accepted Before Visa Issuance

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

After requiring the posting of a bond, you may not issue a visa to the applicant before the receipt of notification that the bond has been posted and accepted. For the duration of the visa bond pilot, this notification will come from the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC).

9 FAM 401.1-4(F) Forfeiture of Bond

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

The maintenance of status and departure bond is forfeited when the alien for whom the bond is furnished breaches the terms and conditions of the bond, which include prohibitions against violating any condition of his or her status, remaining in the United States after expiration of the temporary period of admission, or attempting to adjust status out of a nonimmigrant visa class. DHS will make all bond breach determinations.

9 FAM 401.1-4(G) Limitation on Visa Validity When Bond Posted

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

The validity for the duration of the visa bond pilot is a three-month, single-entry visa, unless the validity of the specified country is lower per the reciprocity table.

9 FAM 401.1-4(H) Procedures Relating to Bonds

(CT:VISA-2173; 08-05-2025)

a. Notification to Applicant: When a bond is required of an applicant, you must notify the applicant in writing of the requirement and specify both the classification of the visa under consideration (B during a visa bond pilot) and the exact amount of the bond required. This notification must also include the applicant’s full name and visa control number. If a bond is required of more than one member of a family group, your notification must include all the information for each person for whom a bond is required. The amount of the bond for each person is to be specified. The consular section will send an email to the applicant (or for each applicant if it is a family with the applicable bond amount) with a link to Pay.Gov and further instructions on how to post the bond.

b. Form of Collateral: Payment of a bond must be made online through Pay.gov. Consular Officers must not accept bond funds in any other form (cash, checks, money orders, etc.)

c. Posting of Bond by Applicant: The applicant is expected to use the appropriate Pay.gov link to post a cash bond.

d. Posting of Bond by Interested Person: If the applicant has a friend, relative, or other interested person who is prepared to post the bond, this person may use the Pay.gov link and use the appropriate identifiers for the applicant.

e. Cancellation of Bond After Issuance of Visa: If an applicant has posted a bond and later seeks to withdraw or cancel the bond instead of traveling to the United States, the applicant must visit the consular section for cancellation of his or her visa. Upon cancellation of the physical visa using the Cancelled Without Prejudice stamp, the consular officer will enter case notes detailing the cancellation of the bond, and follow the SOP to inform KCC of the visa cancellation so that the bond may be canceled, and the collateral returned to the payer of the bond.

f. Cancellation of Bond After Applicant’s Departure from the United States: In general, CA will use DHS data through the Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS) to confirm when a bonded alien has departed from the United States to initiate bond cancellation. In some cases, when DHS has no record of the departure of an applicant for whom a bond was posted, the applicant may request to appear before a consular officer abroad to verify that he or she returned to a foreign country. In these cases, you must confirm that the applicant has departed the United States and provide the date of departure, as stated by the applicant, as well as any evidence verifying that date. The consular officer must inform KCC of the applicant's verified return so that the bond can be cancelled.

h. Notations to be Placed in Visa Issued to Applicant for Whom Bond Posted: See 9 FAM 403.9-8(B) paragraph (7)."