POBNEWS24, Desk report Dhaka Apr 29, 2026 : The US State Department has imposed new strict conditions on obtaining temporary visas in the United States. According to the new guidelines, visa applicants will have to confirm during the interview that they have not been subjected to any form of torture in their home country and do not feel any fear of returning to their country. Failure to prove this information satisfactorily will significantly increase the likelihood of visa rejection.
An internal directive obtained by the British daily The Guardian states that all US embassies and consulates around the world have been instructed to implement this new process. It states that applicants must confirm this information as a prerequisite for continuing the interview process.
The new guidelines have added two important questions for applicants—whether they have suffered any form of harm or torture in their home country and whether they feel any risk or fear of returning to their country.
The US State Department said that many applicants are suspected of hiding their true intentions during the visa process. They assess that this trend is playing a role in the increase in the number of asylum seekers in particular.
The guidelines also state that the current visa screening process is making it difficult to accurately assess the risk or fear of applicants. Therefore, this new system has been introduced as part of a more stringent screening process.
