$20,000 US visa bond rule: Should Indians be worried? Check the complete list of affected countries

The new US visa bond rule requires certain foreign nationals to pay a bond ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. Affected applicants must comply with payment instructions, and breaking visa conditions can lead to reviews by US immigration authorities.

The new US visa bond rule asks foreign nationals to pay as high as $20,000. So, the question is: should Indians be worried?

Well, no. Indian passport holders need not worry about the visa bond requirement described in the notice. India does not appear among the 50 countries listed. However, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal are included from Asia.

The rule covers eligible B1/B2 visa applicants travelling on passports issued by the listed countries. It applies wherever they submit their visa applications.

Applying from another country does not remove the requirement. Implementation dates vary across countries in the notice.

The bond can be $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000. The amount is decided during the visa interview. Therefore, every affected applicant will not necessarily need to pay $20,000. Paying the bond also does not guarantee a US visa.

Applicants must wait for instructions from a consular officer before submitting Form I-352. They will receive a direct payment link for Pay.gov. They must accept the bond terms through this platform. Payments made without official instructions will not be refunded.

The US government takes no responsibility for money paid outside its systems. Check the payment instructions before transferring money, and follow all travel conditions for refunds.

A friend, family member or business associate can also pay the bond. The payer's name must match the name recorded on Form I-352. Any eligible refund goes to the person who paid. Payments and refunds are both in US dollars. The payer bears any losses resulting from exchange rate fluctuations.

Bondholders must enter and leave through commercial airports, including designated preclearance locations. They cannot use charter flights, private aviation, land crossings or sea routes.

Refunds depend on following the visa and bond conditions. The notice describes automatic refunds in several situations, including qualifying departures and unused visas.

Applicants must also comply with any approved stay extensions. Breaking conditions can trigger a review by US immigration authorities. Overstaying, late extension requests and certain protection applications can count as breaches.

Complete list of countries

The complete country list follows. Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana and Burundi are included. Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti and Dominica are included. Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau are included.

Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal and Nicaragua are included. Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles and Tajikistan are included.

Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Uganda are included. Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe complete the list.

About the Author

Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.

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