The Trump administration has significantly expanded the list of countries whose citizens may be required to pay a “visa bond” of up to USD 15,000 when applying to enter the United States.

The information was published on Tuesday on the travel section of the US State Department’s website.

Within less than a week of adding seven countries to the list, the State Department has now included another 25 nations—among them Bangladesh—bringing the total number of affected countries to 38. Earlier, six countries had already been placed under the same requirement.

According to the State Department’s website, cited by UK-based newspaper The Independent, the maximum bond amount has been set at USD 15,000. In Bangladeshi currency, this equals approximately BDT 1.835 million, based on an exchange rate of Tk 122.31 per dollar.

For most of the newly added countries, the visa bond requirement is scheduled to take effect from January 21, according to official information. The majority of the listed countries are in Africa, although several nations from Asia and Latin America are also included. The new rule is expected to make US visas considerably more expensive for many applicants.

This move is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten existing entry restrictions for foreign nationals traveling to the United States.

Under the updated policy, applicants from countries requiring US visas must attend in-person interviews. They are also required to submit details of their social media activity over the past several years, along with comprehensive information about their own and their family members’ travel and residence histories.

US officials have defended the bond requirement—ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 15,000—arguing that it will help prevent visitors from overstaying their visas. However, paying the bond does not guarantee visa approval. If an application is denied, or if a visa holder complies fully with all visa conditions, the bond amount will be refunded.

The newly added countries include Bangladesh, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

Nationals from these countries who qualify for B1/B2 (business and tourist) visas must deposit a bond of USD 5,000, USD 10,000, or USD 15,000. These countries now join others already on the list, such as Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, and Zambia.

The State Department has stated that the bond amount will be determined at the time of the visa interview. Applicants must submit Form I-352 issued by the US Department of Homeland Security and agree to the bond terms through the US Treasury’s online payment system, Pay.gov.

The rules apply regardless of where in the world an application is submitted. Visa holders will also be required to enter and exit the United States through designated ports of entry. Failure to do so may result in denied entry or inaccurate departure records.

Designated entry points include Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).