WASHINGTON: Pakistan has been excluded from a new United States visa bond programme that requires citizens of 50 countries to provide a refundable financial guarantee of up to $20,000 before being granted certain visitor visas.
The new rules, which came into effect on August 1, apply to applicants seeking B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas from countries listed under the programme. However, Pakistan does not appear on the list issued by the US Federal Register.
Among South Asian nations, Bangladesh and Nepal have been included in the scheme, while India has been excluded. Afghanistan and Iran are also not covered, as the United States does not maintain normal diplomatic relations with either country.
According to Dawn, citing diplomatic sources, Pakistan is not among the countries affected by the new visa bond requirements.
The US State Department said the decision to make the programme permanent followed an assessment of a 2025 pilot initiative, which it claimed had significantly reduced visa overstays and improved compliance with American immigration laws.
According to US officials, citizens from the 50 countries covered by the scheme accounted for 45,488 visa overstays in 2024. During the first 10 months of the pilot programme, the number of overstays dropped to fewer than 50.
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Under the revised policy, US consular officers may require selected applicants from listed countries to deposit between $10,000 and $20,000 as a guarantee before issuing a visa.
The amount will be returned if visitors follow all visa conditions and leave the United States within their authorised period of stay. Applicants who overstay their visas or breach immigration rules could lose the deposited amount.
The State Department clarified that the bond requirement will not automatically apply to every applicant from the designated countries. Instead, consular officers will decide on an individual basis whether a financial guarantee is necessary.
The updated rules also raise the maximum bond amount from $15,000 under the previous pilot scheme to $20,000, while removing the earlier minimum bond option of $5,000.
The programme covers 50 countries, including several African nations as well as countries in Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Washington says the measure is aimed at encouraging compliance with US immigration regulations while reducing visa overstays.
