‘Payment before interview non-refundable’: US visa aspirants from Bangladesh told to pay up $15,000 bond

“Do NOT pay your bond in advance. Paying early does not guarantee you a visa, and third-party sites can be scams. Any payment made before your interview is NOT refundable. The bond will be returned if you respect the terms of your visa,” the post read.

It should be noted that while payment of the bond does not guarantee a visa, the amount will be refunded if the visa is denied or when a visa holder demonstrates they have complied with the terms of the visa.

Starting January 21, 2026, all Bangladeshis approved for a B1/B2 (business/tourist) U.S. visa must pay a bond of up to $15,000. This requirement does not apply to people holding a valid B1/B2 visa issued before January 21, 2026.

Do NOT pay your bond in advance. Paying early… pic.twitter.com/c7CMmJxQmt

— U.S. Embassy Dhaka (@usembassydhaka) January 19, 2026

Countries facing US visa bond norms

Bangladesh is one among the 38 countries the US has demanded the payment of bonds as part of its measures to tighten requirements for entry into the US. The move may make the process of immigration to the US unaffordable for many in the South Asian country.

Apart from Bangladesh, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zimbabwe were included in the second list of countries.

Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Zambia were among the countries in the previous list.

Why US introduced visa bond

The Republican Party-led government had said the bonds sought to curb visitors from overstaying their visas intended for tourism or business purposes. Since Trump took over the presidency, he has been implementing a hard-line immigration policy and had earlier come forth with procedures such as in-person interviews and disclosure of social media history for years and provision of detailed accounts of their and their families’ previous travel and living arrangements to obtain a visa for entry to the country.

While Trump and his supporters say the policies seek to improve domestic security, human rights groups have criticised the immigration and travel-related policies, arguing that they curb due process guarantees and free speech.