US to require visa bonds up to Tk18 lakh for Bangladeshi B1/B2 applicants

Bangladeshi nationals applying for United States B1/B2 business or tourist visas will from 21 January 2026 be required to post a refundable visa bond as a condition of their application after Bangladesh was added to a US visa bond pilot programme, according to State Department information. 

Under the updated rules, eligible Bangladeshi passport holders may be asked by a consular officer to deposit a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 (around Tk611,552 to Tk1,834,656) at the time of the visa interview based on overstay risk assessments. 

Applicants directed to post a bond must submit the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 and agree to the bond terms through the US Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform, pay.gov. The bond requirement applies no matter where the visa application is submitted. 

The US Department of State has warned that applicants should not pay or submit Form I-352 unless explicitly instructed by a consular officer, as payments made without official direction will not be refunded and the government is not liable for money paid through third-party sites. Posting a bond does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. 

Under the programme, visa holders who post a bond must enter and exit the United States exclusively through designated ports of entry including Boston Logan, John F Kennedy and Washington Dulles airports. The bond will be automatically refunded if the traveller departs within the authorised stay or does not travel before the visa expires, but may be forfeited for violations such as overstaying or seeking to adjust status. 

Bangladesh joins several other countries on the visa bond list, part of a broader effort to curb visa overstays and strengthen compliance with US immigration rules.