US makes visa bond permanent for BD

Bangladeshi nationals seeking US business or tourist visas will remain subject to a refundable visa bond after the United States made the programme permanent and raised the maximum amount to $20,000.

The final rule, scheduled to take effect on August 3, applies to nationals of designated countries seeking B1 business or B2 tourist visas. Bangladesh is among the 50 countries currently covered by the programme.

Under the permanent arrangement, consular officers can set the bond at $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 after assessing an applicant’s circumstances. The pilot programme offered bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000.

The $5,000 tier has now been withdrawn, while the maximum has increased from $15,000 to $20,000. Consular officers are generally expected to set the bond at $15,000, although they may select a lower or higher amount depending on the applicant’s financial position, travel purpose and ties to the United States.

Applicants should not pay a bond before attending their visa interview. During the interview, a consular officer will first determine whether an applicant is otherwise eligible for a visa and then inform the applicant of the required amount.

Payment must be made only after the applicant receives official instructions and a link to the US government’s designated payment platform. Posting a bond does not itself guarantee that a visa will be issued.

The bond may be paid by the applicant or by another person. It is returned if the traveller complies with the visa and bond conditions, including leaving the United States within the authorised period. It may be forfeited if the visa holder overstays or otherwise breaches the terms.

The State Department said the programme had proved effective during its initial 10 months. It reported that the 50 covered countries recorded 45,488 overstays in fiscal year 2024, while fewer than 50 bonded travellers overstayed during the pilot period.

However, the requirement also sharply reduced visa demand and issuance.

The department had initially estimated that about 2,000 applicants would be subject to the bond during the year-long pilot. Instead, around 20,000 applications required bond payments, and close to half of those applicants did not ultimately pay.

B1 and B2 visa issuance to nationals of the covered countries consequently fell by 83% during the first 10 months of the programme compared with the corresponding period a year earlier.

US authorities estimate that immigration enforcement and the removal of a person who overstays can cost about $18,042. The department said the bond amounts were designed partly to reflect those potential enforcement expenses.

The programme began as a 12-month pilot in August 2025 as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce visa overstays. The permanent rule allows the State Department to revise the country list on a rolling basis, provided it gives at least 15 days’ notice before adding another country.

Critics argue that requiring travellers to temporarily provide as much as $20,000 creates a major financial barrier, particularly for legitimate visitors from lower-income countries who want to visit relatives, attend business meetings or travel for tourism.