United States Tightens Tourist and Business Visa Access for Cubans and Venezuelans

The U.S. Department of State has made the tourist and business visa bond program a permanent part of its immigration policy, raising the maximum bond to $20,000 and maintaining Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua among the 50 affected countries, as reported by Telemundo 51.

After being initially published as a draft in the Federal Register last Friday, the rule officially took effect this Monday, marking the transition from a pilot program to a definitive regulation. The U.S. government has also indicated the possibility of additional countries being added to the list in the future.

From Pilot Program to Permanent Rule

The initiative started on August 20, 2025, as a 12-month pilot program under Executive Order 14159, signed by Donald Trump, initially targeting 13 countries with high rates of visa overstays.

Cuba was added to the list in January 2026, as the program expanded from 13 to 38 countries, including Venezuela and other nations in the Caribbean and Latin America.

In April 2026, a new expansion included 12 more countries—such as Nicaragua, Georgia, and Ethiopia—bringing the total to 50 nations, 30 of which are in Africa.

Bond Amounts and Payment Methods

The permanent rule removes the pilot's minimum option of $5,000 and establishes three bond levels at the discretion of the consular officer: $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000. Payments must be made exclusively via Pay.gov, the Department of the Treasury's platform, with third-party sites being prohibited.

Importantly, the rule explicitly states that paying the bond does not guarantee visa issuance. Additionally, visa holders with bonds can only enter and exit the United States through commercial airports; private, land, or sea ports are not permitted.

Bond money will be refunded if the visa is denied, if the applicant does not travel before the visa expires, or if the holder meets all conditions and leaves U.S. territory within the authorized time frame.

The Actual Impact: A Drastic Drop in Visa Issuances

Pilot program data shows that the most significant effect was not on overstays but on visa demand itself. In 2024, nearly 45,500 visitors from the included countries overstayed their visas; during the first ten months of the pilot, that number fell to fewer than 50 cases.

It was anticipated that around 2,000 applicants would need to pay the bond, but nearly 20,000 did, with almost half opting out of completing the payment. This resulted in an 83% decrease in B-1/B-2 visa issuances for the affected countries, with $115 million deposited during the pilot.

State Department officials describe the plan as a "great success," noting that they expect the permanent rule to "continue to reduce the demand for B1/B2 visa applications from citizens of countries subject to the program."

An Added Burden for Cubans

For Cubans, this measure adds to a series of accumulated restrictions since 2025: in June of that year, Trump signed a proclamation suspending the entry of Cubans with B-1, B-2, F, M, and J visas; in December 2025, the travel ban was expanded to include 20 more countries, keeping Cuba among those with partial restrictions.

Cuba has a visa overstay rate of 17.08%, according to the Department of Homeland Security's fiscal year 2023 report, a figure the U.S. government cites to justify its inclusion in the program.

Migrant advocacy organizations argue that the bond creates a financial barrier for legal entry routes, disproportionately affecting citizens from poorer countries seeking to visit family or access educational and business opportunities.

For Cubans, who already face severe economic challenges due to the island's crisis, gathering between $10,000 and $20,000 without a visa guarantee is an almost insurmountable hurdle.

The Trump administration is also considering a $100,000 bond requirement for certain permanent residency applicants processed from abroad.