Featured post

Voter Turnout Likely to Exceed 55pc

Posted by
  Voter Turnout Likely to Exceed 55pc, Says Touhid Hossain Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has expressed optimism that voter turnout in the 13th National Parliamentary Election, scheduled for 12 February, will exceed 55 percent. He made the remarks on Sunday while responding to journalists’ questions at the closing session of an election-focused training workshop in Dhaka. The two-day programme was organised for members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association Bangladesh (DCAB) with support from the Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI). Asked whether the government could hold the election smoothly amid reports that Awami League leaders based in India were campaigning for a ‘No’ vote in the referendum, Touhid Hossain said many were advocating ‘No’ without fully understanding the issue. He reiterated that the government wants the ‘Yes’ vote to succeed. He said the government has spent more than a year preparing reform proposals through various commissions and i...
0

What Is a Visa Bond, Who Pays It, and Key Features of the New U.S. Programme

Posted by

 


What Is a Visa Bond, Who Pays It, and Key Features of the New U.S. Programme

The U.S. State Department has announced that travellers from 38 countries will be required to deposit a visa bond of up to USD 15,000 (around Tk 1.9 million) before entering the United States. Introduced in mid-2025, the measure is part of the Trump administration’s tougher stance on immigration. Bangladesh, along with 24 other countries, was added to the list most recently.

Just a week after seven countries were brought under the scheme, the State Department expanded the list again on Tuesday. Six countries had already been included earlier. The initiative is a 12-month pilot programme that took effect on 20 August and applies to B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas. For newly added countries, the bond requirement will generally take effect from 21 January, with a few exceptions.

According to a temporary final rule published in the U.S. Federal Register on 5 August, the programme targets countries whose nationals have historically high visa overstay rates. A State Department notice explained that since 2000, many foreign nationals have entered the U.S. on temporary visas without their departures being properly tracked, resulting in thousands of visitors overstaying each year.

Visa overstays: the background

Data submitted to the U.S. Congress by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows that in fiscal year 2023, nearly 390 million visa holders were expected to depart the U.S., yet about 400,000 remained after their visas expired. The Migration Policy Institute notes that visa overstays account for a significant share of the undocumented population in the United States.

Earlier studies support this trend. In 2002, the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) reported that about 41 percent of undocumented immigrants in the 1990s had overstayed their visas. Subsequent analyses found similar patterns, with research indicating that roughly 42 percent of undocumented residents in both 2014 and 2024 were visa overstays.

Countries covered by the programme

The visa bond requirement applies to citizens of the following countries, with effective dates 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).

What is a visa bond?

A visa bond is a refundable financial guarantee required from certain temporary visitors to ensure compliance with visa conditions, particularly the authorised length of stay. While most countries ask for proof of sufficient funds, few require an actual deposit that can be forfeited in case of non-compliance.

The United States issues millions of temporary non-immigrant visas each year to tourists, business travellers, students and workers. If a visitor remains in the country beyond the authorised period, it constitutes a visa overstay.

Some countries have experimented with visa bonds in the past. New Zealand once used them to curb overstays, while the United Kingdom proposed a similar plan in 2013 but later abandoned it. The Trump administration also attempted to introduce a U.S. visa bond programme in 2020, though it never took effect due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Legal basis

The visa bond programme is authorised under Section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and implemented through a Temporary Final Rule. Overstay rates are calculated using DHS Entry/Exit Overstay reports for B-1 and B-2 visa categories.

Bond amount and who must pay

Eligible passport holders from the listed countries applying for conditional B-1 or B-2 visas must pay the bond. The amount—USD 5,000, USD 10,000 or USD 15,000—is determined during the visa interview.

A consular officer decides the bond value based on individual circumstances, including the purpose of travel, occupation, income, skills and educational background. In limited cases, such as official U.S. government travel or urgent humanitarian situations, the bond requirement may be waived.

Applicants must submit DHS Form I-352 and consent to the bond conditions through the U.S. Treasury’s Pay.gov system. The rules apply regardless of where the visa application is filed.

Important precautions

Applicants should deposit the bond only after receiving explicit instructions from a consular officer. Payments must be made exclusively through the Pay.gov link provided by U.S. authorities. Any payment made through third-party websites or without official instruction is non-refundable and not the responsibility of the U.S. government. Paying a bond does not guarantee visa approval.

Designated entry and exit points

Visa holders under the bond programme must enter and exit the United States through one of three designated airports: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Using any other port of entry or exit may invalidate the bond or prevent proper recording of departure.

When the bond is refunded

The bond will be cancelled and automatically refunded if:
• the visa holder departs the U.S. on or before the authorised date and DHS records the exit;
• the visa holder never travels to the United States before the visa expires; or
• entry is denied at a designated U.S. port of entry.

Violations of bond conditions

Suspected violations are referred by DHS to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which determines whether the bond has been breached. Violations may include overstaying, remaining beyond the authorised period, or applying to change non-immigrant status, including seeking asylum.

Final note

The visa bond programme represents a new layer of U.S. immigration control. For Bangladeshi and other affected travellers, it signals that financial capacity and compliance history will carry greater weight in visa decisions. The safest approach is to follow visa conditions strictly, depart on time, and avoid any unofficial payment channels.

Comments

Post a Comment