US expands visa bond rule to 12 more countries: $15,000 fee for 50 nations; is India included? Full list here

The Trump administration is widening its immigration controls with a new rule that will require visitors from 50 countries to deposit a $15,000 bond before entering the United States.

A State Department official said the move significantly expands an existing visa bond programme, with 12 additional countries being added to a list that previously covered 38 nations, most of them in Africa.

The requirement will apply to those seeking B1 and B2 visas for business and tourism and is set to take effect from April 2.

What the visa bond rule means

Under the programme, eligible applicants must pay a $15,000 bond as part of their visa process. The government says the measure is designed to discourage visitors from overstaying their permitted duration in the United States.

Officials indicated that the bond will be refunded if travellers comply with visa conditions and return to their home country on time, or if they ultimately do not travel.

The State Department official said the visa bond program has ⁠reduced the number of people who overstay their visas.

Countries added to the list

The latest expansion includes:

• Cambodia

• Ethiopia

• Georgia

• Grenada

• Lesotho

• Mauritius

• Mongolia

• Mozambique

• Nicaragua

• Papua New Guinea

• Seychelles

• Tunisia

These countries join an existing group of 38 nations already covered under the programme, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Cuba, Venezuela, Uganda and Tanzania, among others.

 

Previously included 38 countries:

• Algeria

• Angola

• Antigua and Barbuda

• Bangladesh

• Benin

• Bhutan

• Botswana

• Burundi

• Cabo Verde

• Central African Republic

• Côte d’Ivoire

• Cuba

• Djibouti

• Dominica

• Fiji

• Gabon

• The Gambia

• Guinea

• Guinea-Bissau

• Kyrgyzstan

• Malawi

• Mauritania

• Namibia

• Nepal

• Nigeria

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• São Tomé and Príncipe

• Senegal

• Tajikistan

• Tanzania

• Togo

• Tonga

• Turkmenistan

• Tuvalu

• Uganda

• Vanuatu

• Venezuela

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

A total of 50 countries are now covered under the visa bond programme. India is not on the list. 

Part of a broader immigration push

The visa bond rule is part of a wider set of immigration measures introduced since President Donald Trump returned to office.

These include stepped-up deportations, revocation of visas and green cards, and tighter scrutiny of applicants’ social media activity and public statements.

Last June, the administration also imposed a travel ban affecting citizens from 19 countries on national security grounds.

Criticism and government response

Human rights groups have criticised the administration’s immigration policies, arguing that they undermine due process protections and restrict free speech.

The Trump administration and its allies, however, maintain that the measures are necessary to strengthen domestic security and prevent immigration violations.