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US Visa Bond: Is India Affected From $20,000 Deposit Rule? Check Full List
The program targets overstay risks and requires bonds of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 for eligible B1/B2 applicants.
On Friday, the State Department updated its list of 50 countries whose nationals must post visa bonds of up to $20,000 for business and tourist visas, leaving Indian passport holders exempt from the requirement.
This programme operates under Section 221 of the Immigration and Nationality Act; the State Department relies on Homeland Security overstay metrics to identify target nationalities and counter visitor overstays.
Consular officers fix bond amounts between $10,000 and $20,000 during visa interviews, and applicants must file DHS Form I-352 and consent to conditions via the Treasury Department's Pay.gov platform.
Participants face strict travel constraints requiring commercial aviation while barring land borders and charter aircraft; Immigration Services evaluates potential bond infractions to determine if breaches occurred.
The list encompasses nations across Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia, and the Pacific; among South Asian countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal are included, with mandates for some beginning in January.