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

> The B1/B2 visa bond program became permanent on 3 August 2026 with bonds up to $20,000. India is not among the 50 covered countries; Bangladesh and Nepal are.

- Published: 2026-08-17
- Author: VisaGyan (VisaGyan)
- Canonical: https://visagyan.in/us-visa-bond-permanent-india-not-on-list
- Official sources:
  - https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/03/2026-15726/visas-visa-bond-program
  - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/countries-subject-to-visa-bonds.html

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Indian applicants for a US visitor visa do **not** have to post a bond — and that has not changed. What changed on 3 August 2026 is that the bond program itself is now permanent, its ceiling has risen to $20,000, and three of India's neighbours are on the list. Here is what the rule says and why "$20,000 US visa" headlines do not apply to an Indian passport.

## 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.

<DatasetTable datasetKey="us-visa-bond-countries" caption="The 50 countries subject to US visa bonds — India is not listed (State Department, checked 17 August 2026)" />

## 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](/visa-agent-fraud-how-it-works-india).

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](/us-visa-fees-from-india). What actually gets Indians refused is covered in [214(b) and 221(g): what to do next](/us-visa-refused-214b-221g-what-to-do).

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