Pakistan gets a pass on new US visa bond rule
• Washington makes visa bond programme permanent; Bangladesh, Nepal among 50 countries covered, India also excluded • Visitors from listed nations face refundable deposits of up to $20,000 WASHINGTON: Pakistan is not among the 50 countries whose citizens may now be required to deposit up to $20,000 as a financial guarantee before obtaining a US visitor visa under a new programme that took effect…
The United States has announced that Pakistan is not among the 50 countries whose citizens will now be required to deposit up to $20,000 as a financial guarantee before obtaining a US visitor visa under the new visa bond programme that took effect on August 1. The list of covered countries, published in the US Federal Register, includes Bangladesh and Nepal, but excludes India.
The programme, which was initially a pilot launched in 2025, aimed to reduce visa overstays and improve compliance with US immigration rules. According to the State Department, the review of the pilot programme indicated that the bond requirement significantly reduced visa overstays and compliance with US immigration rules improved.
The programme applies to visitors from covered countries seeking B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas. US consular officers may require selected applicants to post a refundable bond of between $10,000 and $20,000 before issuing a visa. The bond will be refunded if the visitor complies with all visa conditions and leaves the United States before the authorized period of stay expires.
Brief written by urgent.news from Dawn's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
