US visa bond likely to have minimal impact for serious travellers: Toab director
The United States has made new visa bond rules for citizens of 38 countries, including Bangladesh, as part of a new pilot programme announced by the US Department of State.
Taslim Amin Sovon, director of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (Toab), has said that the recent changes in US visa procedures may sound alarming at first, but the impact on serious business travellers and financially capable individuals is likely minimal.
Speaking to The Business Standard today (7 January), he noted that those who can meet the required financial proof, such as a Tk18 lakh bond, should face no obstacles in obtaining a US visa.
However, the B1/B2 tourist and business visa categories will continue to be subject to standard scrutiny, he added.
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The United States has made new visa bond rules for citizens of 38 countries, including Bangladesh, as part of a new pilot programme announced by the US Department of State.
The state department said that citizens of Bangladesh and some other countries will have to pay visa bonds for B1/B2 visas (business or tourism). This rule will be effective for Bangladesh from 21 January.
Under the new rule, Bangladeshi passport holders found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond of $5,000 (Tk6,11,552), $10,000 (Tk1,223,104), or $15,000 (Tk1,834,656).
The bond amount will be determined by a consular officer at the time of the visa interview and is based on overstay risk assessments using B1/B2 overstay rates from the US Department of Homeland Security's Entry/Exit Overstay Report.
