The US State Department has decided to make its visa bond program permanent, allowing consular officers to require certain B-1 and B-2 visa applicants from 50 countries to post bonds of up to $20,000 before a visa is issued. The program, aimed at reducing visa overstays, will take effect on August 3 when the final rule is published in the Federal Register.
The rule applies to B-1 visas for business travel and B-2 visas for tourism. Under the new policy, consular officers can require eligible applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition for receiving a visa.
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Visa bond amount increased
According to the Federal Register notice, the permanent program replaces the 2025 pilot that allowed consular officers to seek bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or up to $15,000 from selected applicants.
The final rule removes the $5,000 bond option and increases the maximum amount to $20,000.
The notice states, "Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers."
"The 2025 visa bond pilot, which provided a framework for the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of the Treasury to assess the feasibility of administering a visa bond program, has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders," the notice further stated.
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India not affected
India is not among the 50 countries covered by the permanent visa bond program.
Indian citizens applying for B-1 or B-2 visas will continue to follow the existing US visa application process and will not be required to pay a visa bond under the new rule.
The list of 50 countries covered by the program includes 30 African nations, with the remaining countries spread across other regions.
Why is the US introducing the rule?
US officials say the visa bond program is intended to reduce the number of visitors who overstay their visas.
However, immigration advocates argue that the requirement could discourage legitimate travellers from visiting the United States.
Rights groups have also criticised President Donald Trump's broader immigration policies, saying they undermine free speech and due process while creating an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and encouraging racial profiling.
Trump has defended the measures, saying they are necessary to strengthen national security. His administration has also tightened legal immigration by introducing higher fees for some visa categories and expanding social media screening for visa applicants and immigrants already living in the United States.
