WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration has added seven countries, including five in Africa, to the list of nations whose passport holders must post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States.

Thirteen countries, all but two of them in Africa, are now on the list, making the process of obtaining a visa to the United States unaffordable for many.

The U.S. State Department added last week quietly added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan to the list. These designations went into effect on January 1, according to a notice posted on the travel.state.gov website.

It is the latest effort by the Trump administration to tighten entry requirements to the United States, including requiring citizens of all countries that require visas to undergo in-person interviews and disclose years of social media history, as well as details of their previous travels and living conditions for themselves and their families.

US authorities have defended the bonds, which can range from $5,000 to $15,000, arguing that they are effective in ensuring that citizens of the included countries do not overstay their visas.

Payment of the bond does not guarantee that a visa will be granted, but the amount will be refunded if the visa is denied or when a visa holder demonstrates that he or she has complied with the terms of the visa.

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The new countries covered by the requirement join Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi and Zambia, which were added to the list in August and October of last year.

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This story was translated from English by an AP editor using a generative artificial intelligence tool.