US makes visa bond rule permanent for Bangladeshis

Bangladeshi travellers seeking US business or tourist visas could face bonds of up to $20,000 under a permanent visa bond programme set to take effect on Aug 3.

The US State Department will apply the rule to B1 and B2 visa applicants from 50 countries, including Bangladesh, according to a Federal Register notice posted Friday.

Under the rule, consular officers may require an applicant to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition for issuing the visa.

"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.

The pilot allowed officers to impose bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000. The permanent rule removes the lowest option and raises the ceiling to $20,000.

Bangladesh was added to the programme when its coverage was expanded earlier this year. Nepal and Nigeria are also among the 50 countries covered, 30 of which are in Africa.

The administration says the measure is intended to discourage visa overstays. Immigration advocates, however, argue that the financial requirement could deter legitimate travellers from visiting the United States.

The move comes amid a broader Trump administration crackdown on immigration, which has also made some forms of legal immigration more costly and introduced tougher scrutiny, including social media vetting of visa applicants and immigrants already in the US.

Rights advocates have accused the administration of undermining due process and encouraging racial profiling. Trump has defended his immigration policies as necessary for national security.    �"Reuters