US updates visa rules, adds 12 new bond countries
The United States has updated its visa rules by adding 12 more countries to its visa bond programme, which requires some applicants to pay a refundable bond of up to 15000 dollars before receiving certain visas. The policy mainly targets countries with high rates of visa overstays and is aimed at encouraging travellers to leave the US on time. Under the expanded scheme, qualified applicants from the newly listed countries must deposit the bond as an additional condition for securing mainly B1 and B2 visitor visas, covering business and tourism. The money is returned if the holder leaves the US on or before the expiry of their authorised stay or if they later decide not to travel. The 12 countries newly added to the active visa bond list are Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New […]
