US adds Bangladesh to visa bond list with bonds up to $15,000

The administration of US President Donald Trump has added 25 more countries, including Bangladesh, to a list of nations whose citizens may be required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for entry into the United States, according to the US State Department website on Tuesday.

The list, which now includes a total of 38 countries, mostly covers nations from Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. The new policy for the recently added countries will take effect on January 21.

“Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.  The amount is determined at the time of the visa interview.  The applicant must also submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352.  Applicants must agree to the terms of the bond through the Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform Pay.gov.  This requirement applies regardless of place of application,” the State Department said.

The website also warned: “Applicants should submit Form I-352 to post a bond only after a consular officer directs them to do so. They will receive a direct link to pay through Pay.gov and must not use any third-party websites. The U.S. Government is not responsible for any money paid outside its systems. Payment of a bond does not guarantee visa issuance. Fees paid without a consular officer’s direction will not be refunded.”

Required ports of entry

As a condition of the bond, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must enter and exit the United States through the designated ports of entry listed below. Not doing this might lead to a denied entry or a departure that is not properly recorded:

• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) (August 20, 2025)

• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) (August 20, 2025)

• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) (August 20, 2025)

Visa bond compliance

Visa Bond terms are set on the bond form (Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 Immigration Bonds) and on Travel.State.Gov.  The bond will be canceled and the money returned automatically in these situations:

• The Department of Homeland Security records the visa holder’s departure from the United States on or before the date to which they are authorised to stay in the United States, or

• The visa holder does not travel to the United States before the expiration of the visa, or

• The visa holder applies for and is denied admission at the U.S. port of entry.

Visa bond breach

The Department of Homeland Security will send cases where the visa holder may have broken the visa bond terms to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is to determine if there was a breach.  It includes, but is not limited to, these situations:

• The Department of Homeland Security records indicate that the visa holder departed from the United States after the date to which he or she is authorized to stay in the United States.

• The visa holder stays in the United States after the date to which he or she is authorized to do so and does not leave.

• The visa holder applies to adjust out of nonimmigrant status, including claiming asylum.