Starting January 21, 2026, new requirements will come into effect in pilot mode
Starting January 21, 2026, citizens of Kyrgyzstan applying for tourist and business visas of category B1/B2 to the USA will face new conditions. In particular, a mandatory visa bond will be introduced, which is part of the pilot visa bond program that includes Kyrgyzstan. Official information about this has been published on the website of the U.S. Department of State.
The purpose of introducing the visa bond is to reduce the number of cases of overstaying visas. This bond represents an additional monetary amount that is added to the standard visa fee if the consular officer deems it necessary. The bond amount can vary from $5,000 to $15,000 and will be determined individually during the interview at the embassy.
It is important to note that posting a bond does not guarantee visa approval. This condition applies only in the case of visa approval and at the discretion of the consular officer.
The rule applies to citizens of Kyrgyzstan applying for a B1/B2 visa who meet the visa requirements and, at the discretion of the consular officer, are required to post a bond. The place of application does not matter—this rule applies regardless of the country where the visa is processed.
The bond is posted only after receiving an official notification from the consulate. The applicant must complete form I-352 and make the payment exclusively through the government payment system Pay.gov. The use of third-party services or intermediaries is not allowed. If funds are posted without the indication of the consular officer's decision, a refund will not be possible.
The bond will be automatically refunded if one of the following conditions is met: if the person left the USA before the allowed period expired, if the trip did not take place and the visa expired, or if entry was denied at the border.
However, the bond may be withheld in case of visa regime violations. This applies to overstaying, if a person remained in the USA after the allowed period expired or applied for a change of status, including a request for asylum. In such cases, the information will be forwarded to U.S. immigration authorities for further review.
Additionally, restrictions on entry and exit points are being introduced. Citizens who have posted a visa bond must cross the U.S. border only through three airports: Boston (BOS), New York (JFK), and Washington (Dulles, IAD). Violating this rule may lead to issues with exit documentation and, consequently, the loss of the bond.
Thus, the USA is effectively creating a mechanism for financial accountability to enforce visa compliance, relying on statistics of visa overstays by foreign nationals.
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