US to deny visas to applicants who fear returning to home country

By Nkiruka Nnorom

United States said it will now deny temporary visas to applicants who say they fear harm or mistreatment if they return to their home country, under new State Department guidance that drastically raises the stakes for millions of visa seekers worldwide.

The Department of State ordered consular officers at embassies and consulates globally to halt visa interviews unless applicants confirm they have not experienced harm and do not fear returning home. “Those who answer yes or refuse to respond to either question will see their chances of approval skyrocket toward denial,” the directive first reported by the Guardian stated. 

The two mandatory questions – “Have you experienced harm or mistreatment in your country of nationality or last habitual residence?” and “Do you fear harm or mistreatment in returning to your country of nationality?” according to the Department are designed to cut down on people “misrepresenting themselves during the visa process.” 

The new rule effectively screens out asylum seekers and applicants from conflict zones who use visitor, student, or business visas to flee danger, forcing them to disclose fears that could trigger automatic refusal.  

The new rule is the latest in a string of visa restrictions rolled out by the Department of State since 2024, as part of a broader immigration crackdown.  

Early last year, the Department introduced expanded social media vetting for all F, M, and J visa applicants, requiring consular officers to review five years of public online activity for hostile attitudes toward U.S. institutions.  

In October 2025, it suspended visa interview waivers for most non-immigrant categories, ending pandemic-era drop-box renewals and forcing applicants back into in-person interviews. 

By January 2026, the State Department had rolled out visa bond pilot programme for high-overstay countries, requiring some B1/B2 applicants to post bonds of $5,000 to $15,000 refundable only on timely departure. 

Consular officers were also directed to apply heightened scrutiny to applicants from countries with elevated fraud or security risks, with Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon among those flagged internally for additional checks on financial documents and travel history.  

The new directive takes immediate effect at all embassies and consulates.