Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reached out to the Embassy of the United States of America to raise concerns over the new visa bond policy targeting Malawian business and tourist travellers.
On Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo held a meeting with a delegation from the Embassy of the United States of America in Lilongwe led by the acting chargé d’dffaires Philip Nelson.
In an interview yesterday, the minister said a good number of Malawians will not be able to travel to the US because they cannot afford the bond which ranges from $5 000 (about K8.7 million) to $15 000 (about K26 million).
She noted that the policy has come at a time Malawi has been engaging the US Embassy to sort out outstanding immigration concerns.
Said Tembo: “For us, it’s like a de facto ban for some section of our society. But we had a fruitful discussion and we hope we will be able to get Malawi off the list.”
Malawi and its neighbour Zambia are the only countries so far imposed with the visa bond policy effective August 20 for a 12-month pilot period.
Malawi Human Rights Commission executive director Habiba Osman told CNN last week the policy is “inhumane” for a country like Malawi and will punish those who travel in good faith.
The US announced the new visa bond policy in a notice published on August 5 and warned that payment of the deposit does not guarantee visa issuance.
The notice further stated that the deposit would be reimbursed to applicants if they comply with the terms of their visa.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Malawians travelling to the US and other countries abroad to avoid acts such as falsifying visa application information, claiming asylum under false pretence, or overstaying the permitted duration of stay as indicated on their visas.
US Department of Homeland Security 2023 data quoted by the BBC shows that about 14 percent of visitors from Malawi overstay their visas compared to 11 percent of Zambian visitors.
Since May 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been actively engaging the US Embassy through the Joint Working Group on Consular and Immigration Matters to address specific issues raised by the US Government.
