POBNEWS24, Dhaka Jan 7, 2026 : 38 countries, including Bangladesh, have been added to the new US visa bond list. Citizens of these countries must post a bond of $15,000 when applying to enter the United States.
According to a report published on the US State Department website on Tuesday, travelers from 38 countries, including Bangladesh, will have to post a bond of up to $15,000.
According to a Reuters report, the list mainly includes countries in Africa, Latin America and South Asia. As of Tuesday, there were a total of 38 countries on the list.
According to the State Department website, this policy will be effective from January 21 for the newly added countries.
The State Department said that if a person holding a passport issued by the listed countries is eligible for a B1/B2 visa, he or she will have to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 to apply to enter the United States. The amount of this bond will be determined during the visa interview.
Bond visa holders can enter through three designated airports: Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport.
Applicants must agree to the terms of the bond through the U.S. Treasury Department’s online payment platform, Pay.gov.
The policy was first introduced last August as part of a State Department pilot program. A few countries were initially listed.
The countries on the visa bond list are—
Algeria (21 January 2026), Angola (21 January 2026), Antigua and Barbuda (21 January 2026), Bangladesh (21 January 2026), Benin (21 January 2026), Bhutan (1 January 2026), Botswana (1 January 2026), Burundi (21 January 2026), Cabo Verde (21 January 2026), Central African Republic (1 January 2026), Côte d’Ivoire (21 January 2026), Cuba (21 January 2026), Djibouti (21 January 2026), Dominica (21 January 2026), Fiji (21 January 2026), Gabon (21 January 2026), Gambia (11 October 2025), Guinea (1 January 2026), Guinea-Bissau (1 January 2026), Kyrgyzstan (21 January 2026), Malawi (20 August 2025), Mauritania (23 October 2025), Namibia (1 January 2026).
In addition, Nepal (21 January 2026), Nigeria (21 January 2026), Sao Tome and Principe (23 October 2025), Senegal (21 January 2026), Tajikistan (21 January 2026), Tanzania (23 October 2025), Togo (21 January 2026), Tonga (21 January 2026), Turkmenistan (1 January 2026), Tuvalu (21 January 2026), Uganda (21 January 2026), Vanuatu (21 January 2026)
Venezuela (21 January 2026), Zambia (20 August 2025) and Zimbabwe (21 January 2026).
It is worth noting that a visa bond is a type of financial guarantee. Some countries take such a guarantee or guarantee before issuing temporary visas to certain foreign nationals; that they comply with the conditions of the visa, especially the period of stay.
