US visa bonds up to $20,000 now permanent: India not on the list, Nepal and Bangladesh are

What did the State Department decide?#

A final rule published in the Federal Register on 3 August 2026 "finalizes the temporary final rule that went into effect on August 20, 2025, which launched a 12-month long Visa Bond Pilot Program … and establishes a permanent visa bond program." Under it, "consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance." The bond is returned when the traveller leaves the US on time.

Is India on the list?#

No. The State Department's own page "Countries Subject to Visa Bonds" names 50 countries, chosen for high B1/B2 overstay rates or weak document security. India is not one of them. The rule keeps the mechanism flexible — the Department "will announce the covered countries via travel.state.gov … and this list may be amended on a rolling basis, with 15 days from announcement to enactment for any countries added" — so we will track it, but as of 17 August an Indian passport is outside the program.

Why does it matter for Indians anyway?#

Two reasons. First, the neighbourhood: Bangladesh and Nepal joined the list on 21 January 2026 and Bhutan on 1 January. If you are helping a relative or colleague on one of those passports, their interview now carries a bond decision. Second, the noise: agents and WhatsApp forwards are already recycling "US now demands $20,000 for a visa" — for an Indian applicant that is simply false, and anyone asking you to pay a "bond" or "refundable deposit" is running the same script as the slot scams.

The real costs of an Indian B1/B2 application — the $185 MRV fee, what is refundable and what is not — are in US visa fees from India. What actually gets Indians refused is covered in 214(b) and 221(g): what to do next.

VisaGyan is an independent journal, not affiliated with the US government. Rules change; check travel.state.gov before you apply.