These two countries are first on Trump's hit-list for $15,000 visa bonds

Malawi and Zambia will be the first two countries whose citizens must pay up to $15,000 as a visa bond to enter the United States on business or tourist visas. The measure takes effect from August 20 as part of a one-year pilot aimed at cutting down visa overstays.

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The move is part of the Trump administration’s immigration policy push, which includes stricter enforcement and financial deterrents. Travellers who follow all visa rules will get the bond refunded. If they overstay, the bond will be forfeited.

"This targeted, common sense measure reinforces the administration's commitment to US immigration law while deterring visa overstays," said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce on Tuesday.

The policy was announced a day earlier without naming the affected countries. Officials later confirmed Malawi and Zambia, both landlocked African nations with limited US-bound travel, as the first on the list.

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The administration said visa overstays pose “a clear national security threat,” and the bond requirement is “a key pillar of the Trump Administration's foreign policy” to counter that risk.

This pilot programme adds to a growing list of US visa restrictions in recent months, many of which have focused on African countries.