U.S. to Make $20,000 Visa Bond Permanent for 50 Countries

The United States plans to make permanent a program requiring citizens of 50 countries, including Bangladesh, to post a visa bond of up to $20,000 when applying for U.S. business or tourist visas.

The information was published in a notice in the U.S. Federal Register on Friday, July 31. The rule will apply to B-1 business and B-2 tourist visa applicants, according to a Reuters report.

Under the new policy, consular officers may require eligible applicants to pay a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition for receiving a visa.

A pilot visa-bond program introduced in 2025 allowed consular officers to require bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or up to $15,000.

Under the final rules, the $5,000 option has been removed, while the maximum bond has been increased to $20,000.

The new regulation will take effect when it is published in the Federal Register on August 3.

Of the 50 countries covered by the program, 30 are in Africa. Bangladesh is included, while Nepal and Bhutan are among the other South Asian countries on the list.

U.S. officials say the measure is intended to discourage visitors from remaining in the country after their visas expire.

Immigration-rights advocates, however, argue that requiring such large financial guarantees could discourage people with legitimate business or travel purposes from visiting the United States.

Critics have also accused the administration of President Donald Trump of pursuing immigration policies that undermine due process and create additional barriers for racial and ethnic minorities.

The Trump administration has defended the measures as necessary to strengthen national security and combat illegal immigration.

While the administration says its policies are aimed at preventing illegal immigration, several measures have also made legal immigration and visa applications more difficult.

These include new and higher fees for certain visa applicants and expanded scrutiny of the social media activity of visa applicants and immigrants in the United States.

The new visa-bond policy adds another financial requirement for citizens of the 50 designated countries seeking B-1 or B-2 visas.