United States Imposes Visa Bonds up to $20,000 on 50 Countries; India Exempt

Exam-focused facts from the 3 October 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The United States has designated 50 countries whose citizens must post visa bonds of up to 20,000 US Dollars for tourist and business (B1/B2) visas, with India exempt from the mandate.
South Asian nations covered include Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal; Nepal and Bangladesh have faced the mandate since January 21, while Bhutan was added beginning January 1.
Under the programme, travellers on passports from listed countries must deposit bonds of 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 US Dollars, with the exact amount fixed by a consular official during the visa interview.
The State Department released the revised list of bond-required nations, which also spans countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia and the Pacific.