Bangladesh now on US visa bond list, will have to pay 1.8 million taka

BanglaPress Desk: The Trump administration has almost tripled the list of countries whose citizens must post a 'visa bond' or security deposit of up to $15,000 when applying to enter the United States.

The US State Department added several countries, including Bangladesh, to the list of countries requiring visa bonds on Tuesday (January 6), less than a week after adding seven countries to the list of countries requiring visa bonds.

This information was reported on the US State Department's travel website on Tuesday.
The maximum amount of the bond is 122.31 taka per dollar, which is about 1.835 million in Bangladeshi currency.
The list of these new countries and the effective date have been published in the updated information of the US State Department. In the case of Bangladesh, this rule will be effective from January 21.

The State Department said that even if an applicant is considered eligible for a visa, a consular officer can impose this bond condition on him if he wants. The amount of the bond will be determined in three stages - 5,000, 10,000 or 15,000 US dollars. The visa officer will determine the amount based on the applicant's personal circumstances and interview.

What is a visa bond?

A visa bond is a form of financial security. Some countries require certain foreign nationals to meet the terms of their visa, especially the length of stay, before issuing them a temporary visa.

The United States issues thousands of temporary non-immigrant visas to foreign students, tourists, and workers each year. These visas can last from a few weeks to several years.

A non-immigrant visa holder who stays in the United States longer than the authorized period is considered to have overstayed their visa.

Most countries require proof of sufficient funds for a visa. But they have not introduced a system for allowing entry into the country with a refundable bond.

New Zealand once introduced a visa bond to control overstays, but it was later discontinued.

In 2013, the United Kingdom introduced a visa bond for travelers from some "high-risk" countries, but later canceled it.

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