The US State Department has made its visa bond programme permanent, allowing consular officers to require certain applicants for B1/B2 visas to post refundable bonds of up to $20,000. Multiple outlets report that the change applies to nationals from 50 countries identified in the programme. The measure gives consular officers discretion to require the bond for qualifying visa applicants as part of the entry process. One outlet explicitly states that India is not included among the 50-country list, while others focus on the programme’s expansion to a permanent policy and the maximum bond amount and visa categories it covers. Across the reports, the bond is described as refundable, and the requirement is limited to specific visa applicants rather than serving as an across-the-board rule. The reports do not provide further details on the criteria beyond that the consular officers can require the bonds for B1/B2 applicants from the listed countries. The US policy therefore continues under a standing framework rather than a time-limited arrangement.