Washington, August 3, 2026: A permanent United States visa-bond programme has taken effect for designated foreign nationals applying for B-1 business or B-2 tourist visas. Indian nationals are not included on the current list of covered countries.
Under the final rule, consular officers may require eligible applicants from designated countries to deposit a refundable bond of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 before a visa can be issued. The amount will depend on the applicant’s circumstances and the consular officer’s assessment.
Posting a bond does not guarantee approval of a visa. The money may generally be returned when the traveller follows the conditions of admission and leaves the United States within the authorized period. A serious violation of the bond conditions could result in its forfeiture.
The rule is limited to covered B-1/B-2 applicants and does not automatically apply to every foreign visitor. India is not presently on the State Department’s designated-country list. However, countries can be added later, normally after at least 15 days’ public notice. Indian travellers should therefore rely on official State Department information rather than social-media claims.
