Thursday, August 7, 2025
By: TTW News Desk
Beginning August 20, 2025, New US visa enslaved argumentation for citizens of Zambia and Malawi will request to salary a interest ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 erstwhile applying for a United States tourer aliases business visa. This announcement was made by nan United States Department of State and will return effect from August 20, 2025. This is portion of a aviator strategy meant to curb nan complaint of visa overstays from definite countries which includes Zambia and Malawi.
The argumentation is meant to curb nan issuance of B1/B2 visas, which are meant for business tourism. Zambians and Malawians applying for these visas will now beryllium expected to salary a interest of $5,000, $10,000, aliases $15,000 which will beryllium wished astatine nan clip of nan interview.
The Department of State is trying to mitigate nan business of visa overstays by a ample number of travelers from a fewer circumstantial nations. It has to beryllium noted that nan visas will beryllium refundable if nan travelers meet nan position stated successful nan visa which includes exiting nan United States by nan visa expiration day and comply pinch nan enslaved terms. Failure to do truthful will consequence successful nan nonaccomplishment of nan bond.
Why This Measure is Being Introduced
The US authorities has identified circumstantial countries pinch precocious rates of visa overstays and different migration issues, specified arsenic inadequate vetting processes aliases concerns complete citizens obtaining U.S. residency done finance schemes. The preamble of nan enslaved request intends to guarantee that travelers travel nan rules governing their enactment successful nan US and trim nan number of group overstaying their visas.
The U.S. Department of State has indicated that this measurement is not conscionable astir financial assurance, but astir encouraging compliance pinch US migration laws. Zambian and Malawian citizens, for illustration those from different countries connected nan U.S. watchlist, will beryllium taxable to this enslaved request arsenic portion of nan country’s broader efforts to tighten separator information and negociate migration much effectively.
Details of nan Visa Bond Policy
As outlined successful nan Department of State’s charismatic notice, travelers from Zambia and Malawi will beryllium required to station a enslaved based connected nan visa interview’s assessment. This bond, which could scope from $5,000 to $15,000, will beryllium collected earlier nan visa is issued. However, travelers tin person a afloat refund if they meet each nan visa conditions, including leaving nan US connected clip and adhering to nan guidelines of nan B1/B2 visa.
The enslaved amounts will alteration depending connected nan applicant’s individual circumstances and nan visa officer’s determination. This attack is portion of a 12-month aviator programme that nan U Sgovernment hopes will deter visa overstays and guarantee that visitors return to their location countries arsenic required by US migration law.
U.S. Immigration Policy Under Trump Administration
The preamble of this enslaved request is portion of a bid of stricter migration policies put successful spot nether President Donald Trump’s administration. Since taking agency successful January 2025, President Trump has made it clear that 1 of his superior objectives is to heighten .S separator information and trim forbidden immigration.
In June 2025, President Trump signed an executive bid imposing introduction restrictions connected citizens from 19 countries, citing nationalist information concerns and nan precocious number of visa overstays from these nations. This database included 7 African nations, specified arsenic Chad, nan Republic of nan Congo, and Libya, which were added to a U.S. recreation blacklist.
Similarly, successful July 2025, nan US authorities introduced a revised ‘reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy,’ which imposed much stringent introduction requirements for citizens of countries for illustration Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon. Under this policy, nan US now limits nan magnitude of visas issued to travelers from these countries to 3 months, successful a move to further power migration and tighten visa rules.
The Impact connected Zambian and Malawian Travelers
For citizens of Zambia and Malawi, nan caller visa enslaved request represents a important displacement successful nan exertion process for U.S. recreation visas. It whitethorn adhd financial burdens to those who person been readying to sojourn nan U.S. for business aliases leisure. However, nan enslaved strategy could thief guarantee that these travelers fulfill nan position of their visas and return location connected time, which could person semipermanent benefits successful position of restoring assurance successful nan US visa system.
While nan enslaved whitethorn look for illustration a deterrent for some, it is important to statement that it is afloat refundable if nan visa conditions are met. This provides an opportunity for travelers to beryllium their committedness to complying pinch US migration laws.
Looking Ahead: US Immigration Policy and Its Global Impact
This enslaved requirement, though circumstantial to Zambia and Malawi for now, signals nan US government’s broader efforts to tackle visa overstays crossed nan globe. The US has made it clear that it will proceed to show countries pinch precocious overstay rates and return further action if necessary.
The aviator programme is expected to past for 1 year, but it could beryllium extended aliases modified based connected nan results observed during this period. The Department of State’s inaugural whitethorn besides service arsenic a exemplary for different countries looking to reside akin issues related to visa compliance and overstays.
The Bottom Line
Visitors from Zambia and Malawi intending to sojourn nan United States will request to person nan caller enslaved visa requirements fresh by August 2025. The enslaved strategy intends to limit visa overstays and enforce compliance pinch US migration processes and gives reassurance to visa holders that costs will beryllium refunded if stipulations for nan visa are maintained.
This caller visa enslaved argumentation showcases nan US government’s relentless attraction connected migration enforcement and separator control. Considering nan interest connected countries pinch precocious overstays specified arsenic Zambia and Malawi, it seems that different countries will beryllium targeted pinch nan aforesaid policies successful nan adjacent future.