The US administration has added 25 more countries, including Nepal, to a list of nations whose citizens may be required to post visa bonds of up to $15,000 to obtain US visitor visas.

With the latest additions, the total number of countries under the pilot programme has reached 38, Reuters reported.

According to the US State Department website, the new requirement for the added countries, including Nepal, will take effect on January 21.

The policy applies to applicants found otherwise eligible for B1 or B2 visas. “Any citizen or national travelling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000,” the State Department said. The bond amount will be decided at the time of the visa interview.

Applicants must submit a Department of Homeland Security immigration bond form, known as Form I-352, only after being instructed by a consular officer. Payment must be made through the US Treasury Department’s official online platform, Pay.gov. The State Department has warned applicants not to use third-party websites, saying the US government will not be responsible for payments made outside its systems.

The visa bond does not guarantee visa issuance. Fees paid without a consular officer’s direction will not be refunded, the department said.

The pilot programme was launched in August. The State Department said the selection of countries is linked to B1 and B2 visa overstay rates reported by the Department of Homeland Security.

As part of the bond conditions, visa holders who post a bond must enter and exit the US through designated ports of entry. These are Boston Logan International Airport, John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport. Failure to comply may result in denied entry or an improperly recorded departure.

The bond will be automatically cancelled and refunded if the visa holder departs the US on or before the authorised stay period, does not travel to the US before the visa expires, or is denied admission at a US port of entry.

The countries currently subject to the visa bond requirement include Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nigeria, Venezuela, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, among others.