Sri Lanka starts issuing temporary driving license to tourists at airport
'Foreign tourists and even Sri Lankan visitors to the country, who are not dual citizens, would be issued these licenses valid for a month,' Kamal Amarasinghe, the chief of the Motor Traffic Department, said here.
The tourists getting these temporary licenses would, however, be not eligible to drive heavy vehicles and three wheeler tuk-tuks, Amarasingha said.
Currently, any tourists could have obtained a license at the Department's Colombo suburban facility following the due process, he said, adding, the new arrangement is a more swift process where tourists can self drive.
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Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Pay to stay? US may ask tourists for $15,000 bond – What it means? Should you be worried?
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The Department said it will roll out the new 12-month visa bond pilot program, starting August 20 and it will remain in effect for one year from the date. What Indian travelers should know While the program hasn't yet named target countries, India's existing history of visa violations, particularly in overstay and screening lapses, could raise the risk of being included. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pierce Brosnan's Wife Lost 120 Pounds - This Is Her Now Undo According to a public notice posted on the Federal Register's website, the program will require certain applicants for B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visas, typically used for tourism or short-term business trips, to post refundable bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. Eligible travelers include nationals from countries with high visa overstay rates, insufficient screening procedures, or offering 'Citizenship by Investment' programs without residency requirements. The pilot program gives consular officers the discretion to determine bond amounts 'sufficient enough to ensure the alien does not overstay,' while also factoring in the applicant's individual circumstances. "The funds will be returned to travelers if they depart in accordance with the terms of their visas," the notice stated, emphasising that the bond is fully refundable upon compliance. While the notice did not name the countries included, it clarified that the list of covered nations will be announced at least 15 days before the program takes effect and could be updated throughout its duration. These will include countries with "high visa overstay rates," and "deficient screening and vetting information," or those offering citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs where citizenship is granted without any residency requirements. The State Department said the pilot is not just about enforcement, but also intended as a "tool of diplomacy", encouraging foreign governments to tighten their internal security systems. "The pilot program is further designed to serve as a diplomatic tool to encourage foreign governments to take all appropriate actions to ensure robust screening and vetting for all citizens in matters of identity verification and public safety... and to encourage specified countries with visa overstays to ensure their nationals timely depart the United States after making temporary visits," it added. Quoting data from the Department of Homeland Security, the document noted that in fiscal year 2023, the US recorded over 500,000 suspected in-country overstays, individuals who remained beyond their authorized period of stay. This comes as tough immigration policies under Donald Trump continue to impact travel to the United States, with some international visitors opting to skip US trips altogether. Adding to traveler concerns, a new provision passed in July by the Republican-led US Congress introduces a $250 "visa integrity fee" for all approved non-immigrant visa applicants. It will take effect from October 1. US visa bond pilot program: Key FAQs 1. Who it affects Applies to applicants from certain high-risk countries. Applies to B-1/B-2 visas (business/tourist). Designed to reduce visa overstays and ensure travelers return home on time. 2. How the process works A. Visa application Apply as usual through the US embassy/consulate Pay regular visa fees and attend an interview A consular officer will determine if the applicant falls within the scope of the Pilot Program. B. Bond requirement During interview, if you're selected under the pilot, the officer may require a bond: $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 Visa will be denied temporarily (under INA 221(g)) until bond is posted. C. Paying the bond You'll receive a link by email to submit Form I-352 and pay the bond. Anyone can post the bond (you or a sponsor). Bond rules apply until you leave the US. 3. Getting the visa: Once bond is posted and you're approved: Visa issued is valid for a single entry. Must enter within 3 months of visa issue. Visa will show a special note saying bond has been posted. 4. Entry rules Entry allowed only through specific ports of entry (to be announced). Stay in the US limited to 30 days by CBP officers at the airport. 5. Bond refund (cancellation): You'll get your money back if, You leave the US on time. You don't use the visa at all. You are denied entry at the airport by CBP. No interest is paid on refunded bonds. You can also request manual bond cancellation: 6. What if you overstay Bond is forfeited if you break visa rules (e.g., overstay or work illegally). DHS will decide final bond breach after a review.
New Indian Express
18 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Some foreign visitors will have to pay bond of up to $15,000 to enter US under new programme
NEW YORK: The Trump administration is implementing a pilot programme under which foreign visitors arriving in the US on tourist or business visas could be required to pay a 'bond' of up to USD 15,000 to ensure they don't overstay their visas. The countries that would come under the purview of the programme have not been announced yet. The US State Department has issued a 'temporary final rule' under which a 12-month long visa bond pilot programme will be started. The State Department said that under this pilot programme, foreign individuals applying for the B-1/B-2 visas to come into the US for business or tourism could be required to post a bond of up to USD 15,000. The Department said that the rule is described as a " key pillar of the Trump administration's foreign policy to protect the United States from the clear national security threat posed by visa overstays and deficient screening and vetting". "Individuals applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the Department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering Citizenship by Investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot programme," the department said in a public notice. It said consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa "applicants to post a bond of up to USD 15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers". The pilot programme, expected to start this month, will be effective till August 5, 2026. The pilot programme appears to be part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, a key agenda of the US president's electoral run and his second term in the White House. The public notice states that over the years, it has been found that hundreds of thousands of nonimmigrant visitors do not depart the US timely and overstay their visas. While the public notice does not mention which countries will come under the purview of the programme, it said that the State Department will announce the covered countries within at least 15 days before the pilot programme takes effect and this list will be amended as required. "In announcing the covered countries, the Department will also provide a brief explanation of the basis for requiring bonds consistent with this rule," it said. "The pilot programme is further designed to serve as a diplomatic tool to encourage foreign governments to take all appropriate actions to ensure robust screening and vetting for all citizens in matters of identity verification and public safety and to encourage specified countries with visa overstays to ensure their nationals timely depart the United States after making temporary visits." "The public notice said that by its design and intention, the pilot programme is a tool of diplomacy, intended to encourage foreign governments to take immediate action to reduce the overstay rates of their nationals when travelling to the United States for temporary visits". The notice also cites estimates by the Department of Homeland Security, which said that in the DHS FY 2023 Overstay Report, data indicated there were over 500,000 suspected in-country overstays, - individuals who remained in the country past the end of their authorised stay and had yet to depart the country - among nonimmigrants admitted through air or sea ports of entry. Through the programme, the Department seeks to send a message to all countries to take immediate action to encourage their nationals to comply with US immigration law, it said.
Mint
18 hours ago
- Mint
Pay ₹13.17 lakh or stay out: US to slap entry bonds on some foreign visitors to avoid their overstay
In yet another action justifying 'national security', the United States has decided to slap bonds worth $15,000 or ₹ 13.17 lakh on some foreign visitors to make sure they do not overstay their visas. The new program is being launched under a pilot program with an aim to crack down on visitors who overstay their visas. According to a Federal Register notice, the program allows US consular officers to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high visa overstay rates. The notice mentioned that bonds could also be applied to people coming from countries where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient. Terming foreign visitors as 'aliens', the notice said, 'Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the Department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering Citizenship by Investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program. Consular officers may require covered non-immigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.' '….to insure that at the expiration of the time for which such alien has been admitted . . . or upon failure to maintain the status under which [the alien] was admitted…such alien will depart from the United States.' The new policy comes into effect on August 20. It said the consular officers will have three options for visa applicants subjected to the bonds: $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, but will generally be expected to require at least $10,000, it said. The notice stated that the funds will be refunded to travelers who leave the US in compliance with their visa terms. President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the US illegally. For the 'national security', Donald Trump also issued a travel ban that fully or partially blocks citizens of 19 nations from entering the country. Trump's immigration policies have led some visitors to skip travel to the United States. Transatlantic airfares dropped to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic in May and travel from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. fell by 20% year-over-year.
