What is visa bond, who will pay it, key features of the US programme

The US State Department has announced that travellers from 38 countries will need to deposit a bond of up to USD 15,000 (around Tk 1.9 million) before entering the United States. This measure was introduced in mid-last year as part of the Trump administration’s tough, anti-immigration policy. Bangladesh and 24 other countries were added to the list most recently.

Just a week after seven countries were included in the list of nations that require bonds, the State Department added several more yesterday, Tuesday. Previously, six countries had already been added.

This 12-month pilot programme began on 20 August and applies to B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas. The US introduced this initiative after imposing travel restrictions on 12 countries and implementing new fees for US visa holders. For the newly added countries, the visa bond will take effect from 21 January, except for a few.

According to the temporary final rule published on 5 August in the US Federal Register, the programme targets citizens of countries whose visa holders have historically high rates of overstaying in the United States.

A State Department notice in August, citing various government reports, said: “Since 2000, many foreign nationals enter the US on visas but their departures are not tracked. This shows that every year thousands of non-immigrant visitors do not comply with visa terms and fail to leave the country on time.”

A report submitted to Congress by the US Department of Homeland Security shows that in the 2023 fiscal year, nearly 390 million visa holders were expected to depart. However, around 400,000 remained in the country after their visa expired.

The US-based Migration Policy Institute notes that a large proportion of illegal immigrants in the country have overstayed their visas, contributing to the overall rise in undocumented residents.

Analysing data from the 1990s, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) reported in 2002 that nearly 41 per cent of illegal immigrants had overstayed their visas. In 2003, new INS analysis showed that 33 per cent of illegal immigrants in 2000 had overstayed.

More recent research by the Center for Migration Studies indicated that in 2014, about 42 per cent of people residing illegally in the US had overstayed their visas. The same rate was reported for 2024.

Next, let’s take a closer look at what a visa bond is and some key features of the US-announced programme:

The US State Department has made visa bonds mandatory for citizens of the following countries, with the bond’s effective date mentioned in brackets:

Bangladesh (21 January 2026), Algeria (21 January 2026), Angola (21 January 2026), Antigua and Barbuda (21 January 2026), Benin (21 January 2026), Bhutan (1 January 2026), Botswana (1 January 2026), Burundi (21 January 2026), Cape Verde (21 January 2026), Central African Republic (1 January 2026), Ivory Coast (21 January 2026), Cuba (21 January 2026), Djibouti (21 January 2026), Dominica (21 January 2026), Fiji (21 January 2026), Gabon (21 January 2026), Gambia (11 October 2025), Guinea (1 January 2026), Guinea-Bissau (1 January 2026), Kyrgyzstan (21 January 2026), Mali (20 August 2025), Mauritania (23 October 2025), Namibia (1 January 2026), Nepal (21 January 2026), Nigeria (21 January 2026), Sao Tome and Principe (23 October 2025), Senegal (21 January 2026), Tajikistan (21 January 2026), Tanzania (23 October 2025), Togo (21 January 2026), Tonga (21 January 2026), Turkmenistan (1 January 2026), Tuvalu (21 January 2026), Uganda (21 January 2026), Vanuatu (21 January 2026), Venezuela (21 January 2026), Zambia (20 August 2025) and Zimbabwe (21 January 2026)

A visa bond is a type of financial guarantee. Some countries require such a bond or assurance before issuing temporary visas to certain foreign nationals, ensuring that they comply with visa conditions, particularly the permitted length of stay.

Every year, the United States issues thousands of temporary non-immigrant visas to students, tourists and workers. The duration of these visas can range from a few weeks to several years.

If a non-immigrant visa holder remains in the US beyond the authorised period, it is considered a visa overstay.

Most countries require proof of sufficient funds to obtain a visa. However, they do not have a system that allows entry in exchange for a refundable bond.

New Zealand once introduced visa bonds to control overstays, but this is no longer in effect. In 2013, the United Kingdom attempted to introduce visa bonds for travellers from certain “high-risk” countries, but later scrapped the initiative.

During his first term in office in 2020, the Trump administration also tried to launch a US visa bond programme. However, it was never fully implemented due to the global reduction in travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conditions and obligations of a visa bond are detailed under Section 221(g) (3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the Temporary Final Rule (TFR) designed to implement this pilot programme.

The overstay rate, which measures how many citizens remain in the United States beyond their visa expiry, is determined using B1 and B2 category data from the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay reports.

Any passport holder or citizen of the listed countries, eligible for a conditional B1/B2 visa, must pay the bond. The bond amount may be USD 5,000, USD 10,000 or USD 15,000, and will be determined during the visa interview.

A consular officer will set the bond amount, taking into account the applicant’s personal circumstances, including the purpose of travel, occupation, income, skills and educational qualifications.

In some cases, the bond requirement may be waived, such as for travel by US government employees or for urgent humanitarian reasons.

Applicants must submit Form I-352 to the Department of Homeland Security and provide consent to the bond conditions through the US Treasury Department’s online payment system, Pay.gov.

These rules apply uniformly, regardless of where in the world the visa application is submitted.

Applicants must submit Form I-352 to deposit the bond only after instructions from a consular officer.

To pay the bond, applicants will receive a direct link to Pay.gov. Under no circumstances may a third-party website be used for this payment.

Any payment made outside the systems designated by the US government will not be the responsibility of the United States.

If anyone deposits the fee or bond without instructions from a consular officer, the money will not be refunded.

Submitting a visa bond does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.

Under the visa bond programme, visa holders who pay the bond must enter and exit the United States through only the following three airports, known as the ports of entry: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Entry or exit through any other location may result in the revocation of permission to enter the United States or may prevent the departure from being properly recorded.

The conditions of the visa bond are mentioned in the bond form (Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 Immigration Bonds) and on the Travel.State.Gov website. The bond will be cancelled and the money automatically refunded in the following situations:

• If the visa holder leaves the United States on or before the authorised date of stay and the Department of Homeland Security records the departure; or
• If the visa holder does not travel to the United States before the visa expires; or
• If the visa holder applies to enter through a designated US port of entry and their entry is denied.

If a visa holder is believed to have violated the visa bond conditions, the matter will be referred from the Department of Homeland Security to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS will determine whether the bond has indeed been violated. Situations that may be considered a breach of conditions include, but are not limited to:

• Leaving the United States after the authorised period of stay has expired
• Remaining in the United States beyond the authorised period
• Applying to change non-immigrant status, including seeking asylum

The visa bond is essentially a new measure to strengthen US immigration control. For certain categories of Bangladeshi applicants, it also sends an important message—financial and behavioural credibility will now carry greater weight in the visa process.

In this context, the safest course for travellers is to comply with visa conditions, depart the country on time, and avoid any unofficial channels for payments.

(Source: Al Jazeera, The Independent, and the US Department of State travel website)