US imposes visa bonds of up to $20,000 on 50 countries; is India on the updated list?

The United States has placed citizens of 50 countries under a visa bond programme that requires eligible applicants for tourist and business visas to deposit $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000. India is not on the list, while Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal are among the South Asian countries covered by the requirement.

The US State Department released the revised list on Friday. The exact bond amount will be decided by a consular officer during the B1/B2 visa interview.

The programme applies to applicants who are otherwise eligible for a visa. They must submit the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 and accept the bond terms through Pay.gov, the US Treasury Department’s online payment platform.


The State Department has warned applicants not to pay the bond before receiving instructions from a consular officer.

“Applicants should submit Form I-352 to post a bond only after a consular officer directs them to do so,” it said.

The visa bond programme was established under Section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act through a final rule issued on August 3, 2026. The State Department said the programme uses B1/B2 visa overstay rates from the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report.

India exempt from US visa bond

Indian passport holders are not required to pay the visa bond under the revised list.

Bangladesh and Nepal were added to the programme from January 21, 2026, while Bhutan was included from January 1, 2026.

The list also includes countries from Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia and the Pacific.

Who can pay the bond?

The applicant can pay the bond, or it can be paid by a third party such as a friend, relative or business associate. The third-party payer can be located inside or outside the applicant’s home country.

The person named as the obligor on Form I-352 will receive the refund if the bond conditions are met. The name on the form must match the name of the person making the payment.

The bond must be paid and refunded in US dollars. The person paying it will bear any exchange-rate fluctuations.

The State Department has also clarified that paying the bond does not guarantee visa approval. Applicants who pay without being directed by a consular officer will not receive a refund.

Travel restrictions for visa bond holders

Those who post the bond must enter and leave the United States through commercial air ports of entry. This includes Customs and Border Protection preclearance locations.

They cannot use charter flights, general aviation, land borders or seaports to enter or exit the US.

Failure to use the designated ports may result in denied entry or an improperly recorded departure.

When will the bond be refunded?

The bond will be cancelled and the money returned automatically in certain situations. These include:

• The visa expires and the holder did not travel to the US.
• The visa expires after the holder has left the US through a commercial airport and complied with all visa conditions.
• The holder leaves the US on time after the visa expires during a lawful stay.
• Customs and Border Protection finds the traveller inadmissible and cancels the visa at the port of entry.
• The holder leaves the US on time before the end of an approved extension of stay or change of status.

The Department of Homeland Security will refer suspected violations to US Citizenship and Immigration Services for review.

A breach may include overstaying, violating the conditions on the bond, filing a late request for an extension or change of status, or applying for asylum or other humanitarian protection through Form I-589.

Countries covered by the visa bond programme

The countries and implementation dates are:

Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Fiji, Gabon, Kyrgyz Republic, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zimbabwe — January 21, 2026.

Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan — January 1, 2026.

Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia — April 2, 2026.

The Gambia — October 11, 2025.

Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe and Tanzania — October 23, 2025.

Malawi and Zambia — August 20, 2025.