On March 18, the U.S. State Department designated 12 more countries whose citizens will be required to make this deposit when applying for a B1/B2 tourist or business visa. Georgia is among them, bringing the total number of countries subject to this restriction to 50.

Previous reports indicated that the pilot visa guarantee program would begin on August 20, 2025, and run until August 5, 2026. It is not yet known whether the program will be extended.

The new rule will take effect for Georgia on April 2, 2026. Depending on the decision made at the consular interview, the deposit amount will be $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. If the traveler complies with the visa requirements and returns home on time, the deposit will be refunded. The deposit will also be refunded if the visa is never used.

The new program aims to prevent foreign visitors from overstaying their visas in the United States. The State Department emphasizes that these are "high-risk countries."

The department justifies the measure by citing taxpayer savings; deporting one undocumented immigrant costs an average of $18,000, and expanding the bail program could save up to $800 million annually.

In addition to Georgia, the new list includes Cambodia, Ethiopia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, the Seychelles, and Tunisia. Previously included countries are Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

Notably, the list of 50 countries does not include Georgia's neighbors: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Turkey.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Georgian Service is trying to clarify with the State Department whether all applicants will be required to pay the deposit after the changes are implemented or if this will be determined by the consular officer on a case-by-case basis. The State Department's website does not specify whether 10-year visas will be reinstated for Georgian citizens.

The State Department's website states the following:

1) Applicants must pay the deposit only after a consular officer instructs them to do so; 2) The deposit does not guarantee the issuance of a visa; and 3) If anyone pays the fee without the consular officer's instruction, the funds are non-refundable.

This decision comes amid efforts by Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party to restore its strategic partnership with the United States, which the Biden administration suspended at the end of 2024. In recent weeks, Georgian government officials have held meetings in the United States, including with State Department officials and members of Congress.