Above all, intimidation holds true... With the US visa bond program becoming permanent, citizens of 50 countries, including Bangladesh, will have to provide a security deposit of up to $20,000 when applying for a US visa.

The US State Department is set to make the visa bond program permanent for citizens of 50 countries worldwide, including Bangladesh. Under this initiative, applicants from these countries seeking a US visa will be required to submit a bond of up to $20,000. News agency Reuters reported that this information was disclosed in a federal notice published online on Friday.

According to the notice published in the Federal Register, the new rule will apply to B-1 and B-2 visas. These categories of visas are issued for travel to the United States for business and tourism purposes.

The notice stated, "If consular officers deem it necessary, they can ask non-immigrant visa applicants from the covered countries to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition for visa issuance."

It further added, "The 2025 visa bond pilot program provided a framework for the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Treasury Department to assess the practical feasibility of operating a visa bond program. Data derived from that program indicates that this is an effective method to ensure compliance among bond-based visa holders." The Reuters report mentioned that during the pilot program, consular officers could request a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or a maximum of $15,000. Under the new final rule, the $5,000 option has been eliminated, and the maximum bond amount has been increased to $20,000.

This final rule will come into effect upon its publication in the Federal Register on August 3. Out of the 50 countries covered under the program, 30 are African nations.

According to US officials, this policy has been adopted to curb the tendency of individuals overstaying in the US after their visas expire. However, immigration rights activists argue that this move will severely discourage many who wish to travel to the United States legally.

Author: Dr. Abul Hasnat Milton, Chief Editor, The Source News Bangla