Bangladesh added to US visa bond list; Up to $15,000 deposit required

The United States Department of State has officially added Bangladesh to its updated "Visa Bond" list. Under this new regulation, Bangladeshi citizens traveling to the U.S. may be required to post a refundable deposit of up to $15,000 as a guarantee of their timely return.

The updated list, released on January 6, now includes 38 countries. For Bangladesh, these new rules are set to take effect starting January 21.

"Any citizen or national travelling 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 website said, adding the amount was determined at the time of the visa interview.

Applicants must agree to the terms of the bond through the US Treasury Department's online payment platform, Pay.gov, the State Department said.

The list mostly included countries from Africa, Latin America and South Asia. It had a total of 38 countries as of Tuesday. The policy for the newly added nations will go into effect on January 21, the State Department website said.