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 on Aug 1. The list published in the US Federal Register does not include Pakistan. Among South Asian countries, Bangladesh and Nepal are covered by the programme, while India is not. Afghanistan and Iran are not included because the United States does not maintain normal diplomatic relations with either country. The State Department said the decision followed a review of the 2025 pilot programme, which it said significantly reduced visa overstays among travellers from participating countries and improved compliance with US immigration rules. Officials said those findings prompted Washington to make the programme permanent. According to the department, there were 45,488 overstays from these 50 countries in 2024. In the first 10 months of the pilot, the number of overstays was fewer than 50. The visa bond requirement has also resulted in a decrease in visa issuance, as some applicants appear to self-select by not paying a bond. Diplomatic sources also confirmed to Dawn that “Pakistan is not on the list of countries covered by the programme”. The programme applies to applicants for B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas from countries covered by the scheme. Under the new rules, US consular officers may require selected applicants to post a refundable bond of between $10,000 and $20,000 before issuing a visa. The regulations make permanent a visa bond pilot launched in 2025 after the US State Department concluded that it had helped reduce visa overstays. The new rules also increase the maximum bond from $15,000 to $20,000 and eliminate the previous $5,000 minimum bond available during the pilot programme. The 50 countries covered by the programme include 30 African nations as well as countries in Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The bond will be refunded if the visitor complies with all visa conditions and leaves the United States before the authorised period of stay expires. Applicants who overstay or otherwise violate the terms of their visas risk forfeiting the deposit. The bond requirement does not apply automatically to all applicants from the countries covered by the programme. Instead, US consular officers will determine on a case-by-case basis whether a bond is warranted before issuing a visa. Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2026