The US State Department is set to make permanent a visa bond programme that could require applicants from 50 countries, including Bangladesh, to deposit a bond of up to $20,000 to obtain a US visa, according to a notice published online by the Trump administration on Friday.

Reuters reports: The Federal Register notice applies to B1 and B2 visas, which are issued for business and tourism travel.

"Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers," the notice said.

"The 2025 visa bond pilot, which provided a framework for the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of the Treasury to assess the feasibility of administering a visa bond programme, has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond programme is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders."