The United States Department of State has officially removed the West African nation from its Visa Bond Pilot Program, just days before the requirements were set to take effect. The decision, announced in an updated roster released on October 23, 2025, comes after Mali was initially added to the list on October 8, sparking immediate diplomatic backlash from Bamako, Mali’s capital. The swift removal represents a notable diplomatic retreat for the U.S., following Mali’s decisive implementation of reciprocal visa-bond requirements for American travelers.

The Visa Bond Program Explained

The Visa Bond Pilot Program, authorized under Section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allows U.S. consular officers to require eligible visa applicants to post refundable bonds of up to $15,000 to ensure they return home after visiting the United States. The program specifically targets countries with high visa overstay rates, according to Department of Homeland Security data.

Under the program, applicants who are found eligible for B-1/B-2 visas but are subject to the pilot program requirements must pay bonds in amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, depending on their individual circumstances. Despite Mali’s removal, six African nations remain subject to the visa-bond requirement.

According to the State Department‘s October 23 update, these include Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, The Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, with implementation dates ranging from August to October 2025. The pilot program will run for 12 months, from August 20, 2025, until August 5, 2026.

Mali’s Retaliatory Measures

According to Al Jazeera, Mali’s Foreign Ministry swiftly responded to its inclusion in the program by implementing identical reciprocal measures against U.S. citizens. Bamako announced earlier this month that American travelers seeking business or tourist visas would be required to post bonds of $5,000 to $10,000, the same amounts imposed on Malian nationals. The Malian government justified this action on the principle of reciprocity, stating that the U.S. program violated a 2005 accord that guaranteed long-term visa access between the two nations.

“In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, Mali has decided to introduce an identical visa programme, imposing the same conditions and requirements on US nationals as those applied to Malian citizens,” Mali’s foreign ministry said in an official statement released on October 12. The ministry further emphasized that Mali “has always collaborated with the United States of America in the fight against irregular immigration, with respect for law and human dignity.”

The visa bond dispute occurs within a larger context of escalating tensions over U.S. immigration enforcement policies targeting African nations. The Trump administration has deployed visa restrictions as diplomatic leverage to pressure African governments on immigration enforcement and deportation cooperation.