Washington, March 19 -- The United States has expanded its visa bond program, requiring nationals from 12 additional countries to post a refundable bond of up to USD 5,000 when applying for short-term business or tourist visas.
According to a statement from the US Department of State, the expanded policy will take effect on April 2 and will apply to B1 (business) and B2 (tourism) visa applicants. With the latest addition, the program now covers a total of 50 countries.
The newly included countries are Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia.
Under the scheme, consular officers may require applicants to pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, d...