US expands $15,000 visa bond requirement to 38 countries: Is India on the list?

US expands $15,000 visa bond requirement to 38 countries — is India on the list?

• US visa bond policy now includes 38 countries; bonds up to $15,000 needed
• New visa overstay rules for Africa, Asia, Latin America start January 21.
• Applicants must pay bonds via Pay.gov and enter US through designated airports

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The administration of US President Donald Trump has expanded a visa bond requirement to include 25 additional countries, raising the total to 38 nations whose citizens may be required to post refundable bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, according to the State Department.

The expanded list, published on the department’s website on Tuesday, largely includes countries from Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. The new requirements will come into effect on January 21.

Venezuela was among the countries added to the list. The inclusion comes days after the country’s toppled leader, Nicolas Maduro, was seized by US forces and taken to New York.

“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 State Department said, adding that the bond amount would be determined at the time of the visa interview.

Applicants must agree to the bond conditions and make payments through the US Treasury Department’s online platform, Pay.gov. The bonds are refundable, provided visa holders comply with the terms of their stay.

The policy was launched as a pilot programme in August and is aimed at deterring visitors from overstaying visas issued for tourism or business purposes, US officials said.

“With this expansion, we are strengthening compliance with US visa laws,” officials said, describing the bonds as an effective deterrent against overstays.

Among the newly added countries are Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, along with Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

They join countries already covered by the programme, including Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, and Zambia.

Applicants granted visas under the programme will be required to enter the United States through one of three designated airports: Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, or Washington Dulles International Airport.

The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement push. Since taking office last January, Trump has pursued a hard-line approach that includes an aggressive deportation drive, revocations of visas and green cards, and enhanced screening of immigrants’ social media activity and past statements.

Human rights groups have criticised the measures, arguing they undermine due process and free speech. The administration has defended the policies as necessary to strengthen domestic security.

What does it mean for India?

While several South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, feature on the expanded list, India is not among the nations affected by the visa bond requirement. Indian citizens applying for US tourist or business visas are not required to post visa bonds under the current policy.