The United States has made its visa bond program permanent, requiring applicants from 50 countries—including Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan—to pay a refundable bond of up to $20,000 when applying for certain non-immigrant visas.
According to a draft notice published in the Federal Register on Friday, the US State Department concluded after a year-long review that the program had been effective in reducing visa overstays. The rule will take effect on Monday, with the department retaining the authority to add more countries to the list in the future.
Higher bond amounts
Under the pilot program introduced in August 2025, consular officers could require applicants to post a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
The permanent rule removes the $5,000 option and raises the maximum bond to $20,000, leaving only two possible bond amounts: $10,000 and $20,000.
Who is affected?
The requirement applies to applicants for B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) visas from the designated countries.
Applicants must pay the bond before their visa interview. The money is refunded if the visa application is denied or if the traveller complies with all visa conditions after entering the US.
The program was introduced during the Trump administration as part of broader efforts to curb illegal immigration and reduce visa overstays. US officials estimate that arresting and deporting a visa overstay costs the government about $18,000 per person.
Impact on South Asia
Besides several African nations, the list includes Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
Citizens of these countries applying for US business or tourist visas will now be subject to the bond requirement permanently rather than under a temporary pilot program.
The measure could affect travellers visiting family, attending business meetings or travelling for tourism.
Countries covered
The 50 countries included in the program are:
Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Government cites success
According to the State Department, nearly 45,500 visitors from the 50 listed countries overstayed their visas in 2024.
The department said that during the first 10 months of the pilot program, the number of overstays among applicants subject to the bond requirement fell to fewer than 50.
Officials had initially expected about 2,000 applicants annually to be covered by the program. Instead, around 20,000 applicants fell under the requirement, with nearly half opting not to pay the bond.
As a result, the issuance of business and tourist visas to citizens of the listed countries declined by 83%, according to the notice.
The State Department said the permanent rule would help further reduce demand for these visa categories among nationals of the affected countries.
However, critics argue that the high bond amounts place an unfair financial burden on travellers from lower-income countries seeking to visit relatives, explore business opportunities or travel for tourism.