• Zimbabwe has been added to a U.S. visa bond programme covering 38 countries, requiring certain B-1 and B-2 visa applicants to post bonds of up to US$15,000 from January 21, 2026
• The effective cost for Zimbabweans could rise to US$17,250 due to Zimbabwe’s 15% tax on online card payments, further limiting access to U.S. travel for business and leisure
• Washington cites high visa overstay rates and migration cooperation failures as reasons

Harare - The U.S. Embassy has expanded its visa bond policy to include Zimbabwe among 38 targeted countries, effectively tightening access to the United States and imposing steep new financial hurdles for Zimbabwean business and leisure travellers from January 21, 2026.

Under the revised rules announced by the U.S. State Department, certain applicants for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism) visas will be required to post a refundable security bond of between US$5,000 and US$15,000, determined at the discretion of a consular officer during the visa interview.

Posting the bond does not guarantee visa approval, and applicants who pay without explicit instruction from a consular officer will forfeit their money without refund.

A visa bond programme is an immigration control measure under which a foreign visitor is required to pay a refundable sum of money to a government as a guarantee that they will comply with visa conditions, particularly the requirement to leave the country on time.

For Zimbabweans, the real cost of compliance could be even higher. With the introduction of Zimbabwe’s 15% tax on online card payments using locally issued bank cards, a US$15,000 bond effectively rises to US$17,250, compounding the burden on already strained household and business finances.

The visa bond requirement applies only to specific B-1 or B-2 applicants and does not alter other U.S. entry programmes such as student or work visas.

The bond is refunded if the visa is denied, if the applicant does not travel before the visa expires, or if the traveller leaves the U.S. within the authorised stay period. However, any overstay or violation of visa terms results in total forfeiture.

Zimbabwe is among 25 countries newly added to the programme, joining others such as Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Angola, Algeria, Bangladesh, Venezuela, and Nepal. Most of the affected countries are in Africa, with additional nations from Latin America and Asia.

They join a group of countries  including Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Mauritania, and Guinea that were already subject to the bond requirement from January 1, 2026.

The programme was initially launched as a pilot in August 2025, but its rapid expansion signals a broader shift in U.S. immigration enforcement strategy.

Why Zimbabwe Is Being Targeted

U.S. officials cite visa overstay rates and migration cooperation failures as the primary drivers behind Zimbabwe’s inclusion.

According to U.S. government data, Zimbabwe recorded a B-1 and B-2 visa overstay rate of 10.57% in 2023, equivalent to 709 individuals, more than double the global average of 3–4%.

Concerns have also been raised about student visa compliance in the F, M, and J categories, although Washington has not published precise figures.

Compounding these concerns is Zimbabwe’s refusal to sign a safe third country or third country national agreement, which would require Harare to process or host asylum seekers who transited through the country en route to the United States.

Washington has been pressing African governments to accept deported non-national migrants, but only Eswatini, Rwanda, and South Sudan have publicly agreed.

Zimbabwe was also placed on a U.S. Yellow List in 2025, flagged for inadequate traveller information sharing, passport security weaknesses, and allegations of selling citizenship to nationals from restricted countries  issues that U.S. officials say remain unresolved.

The bond requirement comes against the backdrop of a temporary suspension of routine visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Harare, announced in August 2025. The pause affects most immigrant and non-immigrant visas, sparing only diplomatic and official categories.

In a statement at the time, the embassy said: “The Trump Administration is protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process. We are always working to prevent visa overstay and misuse.”

While Washington frames the policy as a compliance and security measure, it points to deep-rooted structural drivers behind Zimbabwe’s overstay problem.

Zimbabwe’s economy continues to grapple with chronic inflation, limited formal employment opportunities, foreign-currency shortages, and informality rates exceeding 80%, according to World Bank and regional economic assessments. These pressures incentivise temporary visa holders to seek informal work or remain abroad after visa expiry.

Student visa holders often face a similar dilemma, graduating into an economy unable to absorb skilled labour. While political instability and governance concerns are no longer the dominant drivers they once were, economic insecurity remains a powerful push factor.

The bond policy reflects a tiered U.S. approach to African migration management. Countries such as Malawi (14.3% overstay rate) and Zambia (10.5%) remain eligible for visas under the bond system, while Zimbabwe faces both bond requirements and service suspensions, suggesting a harsher compliance assessment.

What This Means for Zimbabwe

The implications are significant. Education and remittances are  vulnerable; remittance inflows account for roughly 10% of Zimbabwe’s GDP, and any decline would ripple through household consumption and foreign-exchange availability.

With the visa bond requirement now layered on top of domestic transaction taxes and a suspended visa processing system, access to the United States is becoming increasingly restricted to the wealthy and well-connected.

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