The United States has decided to make its visa bond program permanent for citizens of Bangladesh and 49 other countries, requiring certain applicants to deposit a financial bond of up to US$20,000 when applying for U.S. visas.

The move was announced in a notice published by the U.S. government on Friday.

Under the new policy, the requirement will apply to applicants seeking B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas. Consular officers will have the authority to require applicants from designated countries to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition for visa issuance.

The new rule is scheduled to take effect on August 3.

The visa bond program was first introduced as a pilot initiative in 2025. As part of the pilot, the U.S. Departments of State, Homeland Security, and the Treasury were tasked with evaluating its effectiveness.

Following the assessment, the U.S. government concluded that the visa bond program is an effective tool for improving compliance with visa conditions, particularly by reducing the number of visitors who overstay their authorized period of stay.

Under the pilot program, consular officers could require bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The revised policy eliminates the $5,000 option and raises the maximum bond amount to $20,000.

Of the 50 countries covered by the program, 30 are in Africa.

The Asian countries included are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

According to U.S. officials, the policy is intended to reduce visa overstays and encourage compliance with U.S. immigration laws.

However, immigration advocates argue that the requirement could discourage legitimate business and tourist travel by making it significantly more expensive for many applicants to visit the United States.