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US to make visa bond requirements permanent, affecting mostly African countries
Summary by The San Antonio Editorial Desk Matthew Lee, Associated Press , as published by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate)
· July 31, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) · view original
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The San Antonio Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Matthew Lee, Associated Press, as published by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 31, 2026 Indexed here Jul 31, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway The bond amount will be raised, with a maximum of $20,000.
The US State Department is making a visa bond program permanent, which will affect citizens of 50 countries, mostly in Africa. This program requires individuals to post a bond when applying for a US visa. The bond amount will be raised, with a maximum of $20,000.
Previously, the maximum bond amount was $15,000. The program's details can be found through the Federal Register. Further information on the program, including the list of affected countries, is available from the source.
The program is set to become permanent, with additional countries possibly being added to the list.
Why this matters
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About this story
As published by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) . The San Antonio surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local Published: July 31, 2026 Source: KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? The US State Department is making a visa bond program permanent, which will affect citizens of 50 countries, mostly in Africa. This program requires individuals to post a bond when applying for a US…
When was this published? This article was first published on July 31, 2026 by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) and curated for The San Antonio readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Matthew Lee, Associated Press at KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate). To learn more about how The San Antonio selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The San Antonio, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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