US Visa Bond Programme Now Permanent: Countries Affected, Bond Amount and India’s Status

US Makes Visa Bond Programme Permanent: Who Must Pay Up to $20,000 and Is India Included?

The United States has permanently adopted its visa bond programme, allowing consular officers to require certain foreign nationals applying for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas to deposit a refundable bond of up to $20,000 before their visa is approved.

The rule, which comes into effect on August 3, applies to applicants from 50 countries identified by the US government. However, India is not on the list, meaning Indian citizens are unaffected by the new requirement.

What Is the US Visa Bond Programme?

The visa bond programme allows US consular officers to ask certain applicants for a refundable financial deposit before issuing a business or tourist visa.

The bond acts as a guarantee that the traveller will comply with US immigration laws, particularly by leaving the country before the authorised period of stay expires. If the visa holder follows all visa conditions, the bond is refundable.

Under the new rule, consular officers can set the bond amount at up to $20,000, depending on the applicant’s individual circumstances.

Why Has the Programme Been Made Permanent?

The programme was initially launched as a pilot in 2025 to determine whether financial bonds could help reduce the number of visitors who overstay their visas.

According to the Federal Register, the pilot produced enough evidence to support a permanent rollout.

“The 2025 visa bond pilot… has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders,” the notice said.

Who Is Covered?

The permanent policy applies to citizens of 50 countries applying for B-1 and B-2 visas.

Most of the countries are in Africa, while Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan are among the South Asian nations included in the programme.

Importantly, not every applicant from these countries will be required to post a bond. The decision will be made by the US consular officer handling the visa application, based on individual risk assessments.

Is India Included?

No. India is not among the countries covered by the permanent visa bond programme.

This means Indian nationals applying for US tourist or business visas will not be asked to deposit a visa bond under the current policy.

However, the US State Department has indicated that the list of countries could be revised in the future if required.

What’s Changed From the Pilot Scheme?

The permanent programme expands the government’s discretion over bond amounts.

During the 2025 pilot, consular officers could require bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000.

Under the permanent rule, the $5,000 tier has been removed, while the maximum bond has been increased to $20,000, allowing officers to impose higher deposits where they consider it necessary.

For travellers from countries covered by the programme, the new rule adds an additional compliance requirement but does not automatically apply to every visa applicant. The final decision will continue to rest with the US consular officer reviewing each application.