The rule applies to people applying for B1 and B2 visas, used for business and tourist travel to the US.

The US State Department is making a visa bond pilot programme permanent. The rule affects citizens of 50 countries, most of them in Africa, but also includes Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The maximum bond amount is also going up, to as much as $20,000.

WHAT IS CHANGING?

A draft notice published in the Federal Register on Friday says a year-long review found enough data to show the bond programme works. The rule becomes final on Monday, and more countries could be added to the list later.

Under the pilot, bonds ranged from $5,000 to $15,000, set at a consular officer’s discretion. The new rule raises the top amount to $20,000 and removes the $5,000 option, leaving only $10,000 and $20,000 as choices.

WHO DOES THIS AFFECT, AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

The rule applies to people applying for B1 and B2 visas, used for business and tourist travel to the US. Applicants from the listed countries must pay the bond before their visa interview. The money is refunded if the visa is denied, or if the traveller follows the visa rules after entry.

The Trump administration launched the programme in August last year to cut down on visa overstays, as part of a wider push to reduce illegal immigration. Officials estimate that arresting and deporting someone who overstays a visa costs the government around $18,000.

DOES THIS AFFECT SOUTH ASIAN TRAVELLERS?

Along with most African nations, the list includes Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, three countries with close travel, trade and diaspora ties to India.

Citizens of these countries applying for US tourist or business visas will now need to post a bond as a standard, permanent requirement, not a temporary pilot measure. This could affect students, workers and families from the region who travel to the US regularly or plan to in future.

HAS THE PROGRAMME WORKED, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT?

State Department officials call the programme a success. In 2024, nearly 45,500 visitors from the 50 listed countries overstayed their visas. In the pilot’s first 10 months, that number dropped to fewer than 50 among covered applicants, according to the notice.

The department had originally expected around 2,000 applicants a year would need to post a bond. Instead, roughly 20,000 applicants were found to be covered by the requirement. Nearly half chose not to pay, and business and tourist visa issuance to citizens of listed countries fell by 83 per cent.

The notice said the rule “will contribute to the continued reduction of demand” for these visa categories from nationals of the listed countries.

Critics argue the bond amounts place an unfair burden on people from lower-income countries who want to visit family, study, or explore business opportunities in the US.

THE FULL LIST OF 50 COUNTRIES

Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

(With inputs from Associated Press )