US to make visa bond permanent for Bangladesh, 49 other countries

The US State Department will make permanent a visa bond programme that could require applicants from Bangladesh and 49 other countries, most of them in Africa, to post bonds of up to US$20,000 when applying for US visas, according to a federal notice posted online on Friday.

The Federal Register notice applies ​to B1 and B2 visas, which are issued for business and tourism ​travel.

"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 notice said.

"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."

In the pilot program, consular officers could require bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or up ‌to $15,000. ⁠The final rule eliminates the $5,000 option and raises the maximum bond to $20,000.

The final rule goes into effect on August 3 when it is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register. In the list of 50 countries, opens new tab for whose citizens this program applies, ​30 are from ​Africa.

US officials say the ⁠policy is intended to reduce visa overstays. Immigration advocates argue it will deter legitimate travel to the United States.

Rights advocates say ​President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown violates free speech and due ​process, while creating ⁠an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and encouraging racial profiling. Trump has defended the measures as necessary to bolster national security.

While Trump says he wants to curb illegal immigration, his ⁠administration ​has made legal immigration more difficult, for example, ​by imposing new and expensive fees for applicants of certain visas and by enforcing social media vetting for applicants ​and immigrants already in the country.