Washington's permanent visa bond programme, effective August 1, places a financial hurdle on travellers from 50 countries — but Pakistan is conspicuously absent from that list. The rule, which can require deposits of up to $20,000 for B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas, reflects a broader shift in US immigration enforcement that spares some nations while tightening scrutiny on others. Main Developments The State Department made permanent a pilot programme that began in 2025, after concluding it cut visa overstays and improved compliance. Under the new rules, consular officers may require selected applicants from covered countries to post a refundable bond between $10,000 and $20,000 before receiving a visa. That ceiling is higher than the pilot's $15,000 maximum, and the previous $5,000 minimum has been eliminated. The bond is returned if the visitor leaves the US before their authorised stay expires; overstaying or violating visa terms means forfeiting the deposit. Read also: Monsoon Flood Alert: Heavy Rain Threatens Low-Lying Areas Not every applicant from the 50 listed nations faces the requirement. Decisions are made case-by-case, with officers determining whether a bond is warranted. The list spans 30 African nations plus countries in Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Background Pakistan's absence from the list was confirmed by diplomatic sources speaking to Dawn, though the Federal Register publication does not explain why certain countries were excluded. Among South Asian neighbours, Bangladesh and Nepal are covered, while India is also exempt. Afghanistan and Iran do not appear because the US lacks normal diplomatic relations with either, making the programme inapplicable. The pilot's success — fewer than 50 overstays in its first ten months among participating countries, compared with 45,488 in 2024 — drove the decision to make it permanent. The programme's expansion follows years of rising overstay numbers and reflects a policy shift toward financial guarantees as a deterrent. Earlier reporting noted that some applicants from covered countries appear to self-select out by declining to pay the bond, which has reduced visa issuance. Why It Matters For Pakistan, the exemption removes a potential barrier for thousands of business and tourist travellers, preserving access to US visas without added cost. But the programme's permanence signals that Washington is willing to impose financial conditions on visa seekers from other nations, a precedent that could expand. The higher bond ceiling and case-by-case application mean travellers from covered countries face unpredictable costs, potentially deterring legitimate visitors while failing to target overstayers specifically. The policy also underscores geopolitical nuances — India's exclusion, like Pakistan's, suggests diplomatic considerations shape enforcement. What's Next Questions remain about how consular officers will apply the bond in practice and whether the US will revisit the country list. The State Department has not announced plans to add or remove nations, but the programme's permanent status leaves room for future adjustments based on overstay data. For now, Pakistani applicants can proceed without bond concerns, though observers will watch whether the policy's success prompts Washington to expand it to other high-overstay countries.