True

Security

It is true that Malawian, Zambian tourists or businesspersons travelling to US face up to $15,000 visa bonds

FACT-CHECKED by iVerify

August 7, 2025

The United States (US) State Department published on August 5, 2025 indicates that consular officers may require visa applicants on tourism or business trips to the US to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers. Malawi and Zambia are among countries whose nationals are identified by the State Department as having high visa overstay rates with Malawi at 14% and Zambia at 11%.

Claim

Tourists from Malawi and Zambia are first to face $15,000 visa bonds in US

Rating Justification

iVerify Malawi verified the content and determined that it is true. To arrive at the verdict, iVerify Malawi read and analyzed the notice by the US State Department. The notice titled ‘Visa Bond Pilot Program’ has procedures to be followed by the US consular officer before and after issuing a visa. The stories about the notice and its specific impact on Malawi and Zambia have also been widely published by international media outlets.

Evidence and References

Link to the US State Department Notice on visa bonds
https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-14826.pdf

BBC News coverage of the notice
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9415d53xko

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