The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka has shared new information regarding U.S. visas for Bangladeshis. After temporarily suspending immigrant visas, the United States has announced that under the “Visa Bond” pilot program, single-entry visas with a maximum validity of three months will be issued.
On Monday (January 26), the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka released detailed information explaining how the Visa Bond pilot program will work.
Earlier, the U.S. Department of State suspended immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Bangladesh. Later, on January 7, Bangladesh was officially added to the Visa Bond list. The Visa Bond requirement for Bangladeshis came into effect on January 21.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, the conditions applicable to applicants under the Visa Bond program are as follows:
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The visa bond must be paid within 30 days of visa approval
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After the visa interview, if found eligible, the consular officer will provide payment instructions along with a direct link to pay.gov
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A single-entry visa with a maximum validity of three months will be issued
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Entry into the United States must be through designated ports of entry
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If the visa holder does not work in the U.S. and returns to Bangladesh within the permitted time, the bond amount will be automatically refunded
With Bangladesh being added to the Visa Bond list, Bangladeshi citizens traveling to the United States may be required to deposit a refundable bond of up to 15,000 US dollars.
U.S. authorities state that the primary objective of this pilot program is to discourage visa overstays—individuals who remain in the country illegally after their visa expires. Countries with higher overstay rates have mainly been included in this list.
For Bangladeshi travelers who provide a visa bond, three specific airports have been designated for entry into the United States:
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Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
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John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
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Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Entering or exiting the United States through airports other than these designated ones may be considered a violation of visa bond conditions, which could complicate the refund process.
In addition to Bangladesh, countries included in the U.S. Visa Bond list are Algeria, Angola, Bhutan, Cuba, Djibouti, Fiji, Nigeria, Nepal, and Uganda. The implementation dates vary by country.
A visa bond is a refundable financial guarantee that some countries require from certain foreign nationals before issuing temporary visas. Its purpose is to ensure compliance with visa conditions, particularly the permitted length of stay.
Each year, the United States issues non-immigrant visas to thousands of foreign students, tourists, and workers. Staying beyond the authorized period is considered a visa overstay.
It is worth noting that in the past, New Zealand and the United Kingdom also introduced visa bond initiatives to control overstays, but later withdrew those measures.
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