WASHINGTON DC (Kashmir English): The US government has tightened its visa policy by adding seven new countries to the list whose citizens will have to submit a bond of between $5,000 and $15,000 when applying for a US visa.
After this decision, a total of thirteen countries have now become part of the list, most of which are from African countries.
According to the Associated Press, the US State Department had imposed this bond requirement for citizens of some African countries last year. These countries included Mauritania, São Tomé and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia.
Now, seven more countries have been added to the list, including Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan. According to the report, this new requirement came into effect on January 1.
US officials say that this bond requirement has been imposed to ensure that citizens of certain countries do not stay in the US illegally after their visas expire.
According to officials, this bond is a security measure, but its payment does not guarantee visa approval. If an applicant’s visa is rejected or the visa holder meets all the visa conditions, the deposited amount is returned.
According to the report, this move is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to further tighten the visa application process. Under these measures, a personal interview has been made mandatory for all visa applicants, while social media history and previous travel and residence details have also been made necessary.
Experts say that this decision will make it more difficult and expensive for citizens of many countries to obtain US visas. According to him, this policy may also affect international travel and business contacts. For more details, visit the website.
