Kathmandu : The US Department of State has announced that it will make its visa bond programme permanent for citizens of 50 countries, including Nepal, effective from Monday. Soon after the State Department introduced the scheme as a pilot programme last year, the Nepali government took up the issue with senior US officials, urging them to review the policy.
The move makes permanent a 12-month Visa Bond Pilot Program that took effect on August 20, 2025. The scheme applies to certain applicants for temporary business and tourist (B1/B2) visas.
This rule finalises the temporary final rule that went into effect on August 20, 2025, which launched a 12-month long Visa Bond Pilot Program (Pilot Program), and establishes a permanent visa bond program, reads a State Department statement issued on Friday.
“An alien applying for a visa as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure (B1/B2) may be required to submit a bond (‘visa bond’) to ensure that the alien maintains his or her nonimmigrant status and departs as required,” the State Department said in the 34-page rule.
The bond is refundable if the visa holder leaves the United States within the authorised period of stay, does not travel before the visa expires, or is denied admission at a US port of entry.
The rule also raises the maximum bond amount from $15,000 under the pilot programme to $20,000. Applicants may be asked to post a bond of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 depending on their purpose of travel, employment, income and other factors. Under the pilot programme, bond amounts ranged from $5,000 to $15,000.
Consular officers are generally expected to require a $15,000 bond, although they may impose a lower or higher amount based on individual circumstances.
The programme affects nationals of several African countries as well as Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan in South Asia.
In January this year, the US Embassy in Kathmandu announced that Nepalis who were otherwise eligible for B1/B2 visas could be required to post a bond of up to $15,000. The embassy said applicants would be informed during their visa interview if they were required to pay the bond.
Applicants were also advised not to pay through third-party websites and not to make any payment until instructed by a consular officer. B1/B2 visas would not be issued until the required bond had been paid, the embassy said.
According to the State Department, visa bonds may be required for applicants from countries with high visa overstay rates, inadequate information sharing, weak identity verification systems, incomplete criminal records, or deficiencies in travel document security and screening procedures.
