Pakistan Exempted from New US Visa Bond Requirement

POLICY WIRE — Washington, DC — The United States has made its visa bond program permanent, affecting citizens from 50 countries who now face a refundable deposit of up to $20,000 before obtaining a US visitor visa. However, Pakistan is notably absent from the list of affected nations.

The list, published in the US Federal Register, includes Bangladesh and Nepal from South Asia but excludes Pakistan and India. Afghanistan — and Iran are also not included due to the absence of normal diplomatic relations with the United States.

The State Department stated that the decision to make the program permanent followed a review of the 2025 pilot, which significantly reduced visa overstays and improved compliance with US immigration rules. According to department data, there were 45,488 overstays from these 50 countries in 2024, compared to fewer than 50 overstays in the first 10 months of the pilot.

Under the new rules, US consular officers may require selected applicants from the listed countries to post a refundable bond 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 US before the authorized period expires. Non-compliance may result in forfeiting the deposit.

The bond requirement doesn’t apply to all applicants automatically. Instead, consular officers will determine on a case-by-case basis whether a bond is necessary. The 50 countries covered by the programme include 30 African nations and countries in Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.

Diplomatic sources 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 the affected countries.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)