The United States has said its visa restriction policy can be applied to anyone "found to be undermining" democratic elections in Bangladesh. “This could include vote rigging, intimidating voters, use of violence to prevent people from exercising their rights to freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly, and the use of measures designed to prevent political parties, voters, civil society, or the media from participating in the electoral process or expressing their views,” US Embassy Spokesperson Bryan Schiller told UNB while responding to a question. Read: US Sen. Bob Menendez charged with corruption-related offenses for the second time in 10 years He came up with the remark when asked whether journalists may also come under visa restrictions. Clarifying the issue further, the US Embassy in Facebook post said, “We are applying the [visa restriction] policy in a balanced way against anyone [undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh] -  regardless of being pro-government, opposition party, members of law enforcement agencies, members of the judiciary, or media persons.” The embassy spokesperson said the US Department of State relies on extensive, well-resourced, and fact-checked case-by-case review of credible information about those undermining the democratic process in Bangladesh to determine whether to apply visa restrictions. Read: Haas raises eyebrows by saying members of media may face visa restrictions US announces in-person interview waivers for certain visa applicants throughout 2023 The United States has said it will not release the names or numbers of people in Bangladesh subjected to the visa restrictions. "Visa records are confidential under US law," US Embassy Spokesperson Bryan Schiller told UNB earlier. But, he said, the US government has looked very closely at incidents since they announced this policy. "After a careful review of the evidence, we have imposed visa restrictions on members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition,” said Bryan Schiller. Read: 'Smart Bangladesh' needs to harness full potential of women In May this year, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the new visa policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) (“3C”) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to support Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections. Under this policy, the United States will restrict the issuance of visas for any Bangladeshi individual, believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh. The United States notified the Bangladesh government of this decision on May 3, 2023. The Department of State on Friday said they are taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh. Read: European Film Festival presents a true cultural collaboration between Bangladesh, EU: Dutch Ambassador "Our actions today reflect the continued commitment of the United States to supporting Bangladesh’s goal of peacefully holding free and fair national elections, and to support those seeking to advance democracy globally," said its Spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement. These individuals include members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition, he said. "The United States is committed to supporting free and fair elections in Bangladesh that are carried out in a peaceful manner," Miller said. These persons and members of their immediate family may be found ineligible for entry into the United States. Additional persons found to have been responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh may also be found ineligible for US visas under this policy in the future, according to the US Department of State. This includes current and former Bangladeshi officials, members of opposition and ruling political parties, and members of law enforcement, the judiciary, and security services, Miller said.

The United States has extended the authority of consular officers to waive in-person interviews for certain nonimmigrant visa categories throughout 2023. The Department of State said that it recognizes the positive impact of travel to the United States by foreign student and temporary work visa holders on the US economy and is committed to facilitating nonimmigrant travel and further reducing visa wait times. Consular officers are authorized, through December 31, 2023, to continue to waive in-person interviews on a case-by-case basis for certain first-time and/or renewing applicants, according to the office of the Spokesperson at the US Department of State. Read More: Umrah e-visa: Biometric data must for pilgrims from Bangladesh, 4 other countries These categories of visas are for temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers (H-2 visas), students (F and M visas), academic exchange visitors (academic J visas), and certain beneficiaries of approved individual petitions for nonimmigrant temporary worker visas in the following categories: persons in specialty occupations (H-1B visas), trainee or special education visitors (H-3 visas), intracompany transferees (L visas), individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement (O visas), athletes, artists, and entertainers (P visas), and participants in international cultural exchange programs (Q visas); and qualifying derivatives. These waivers are authorized by a determination of the Secretary of State with the concurrence of the Department of Homeland Security. The authorization to waive the in-person interview for applicants renewing a visa in the same classification within 48 months of the prior visa’s expiration was previously authorized to remain in place until further notice. Read More: Bangladesh seeks ease of visa process, investment from Guatemala These interview waiver authorities have reduced visa appointment wait times at many embassies and consulates by freeing up in-person interview appointments for other applicants who require interviews. Nearly half of the almost seven million nonimmigrant visas the Department issued in the fiscal 2022 were adjudicated without an in-person interview. "We are successfully lowering visa wait times worldwide, following closures during the pandemic, and making every effort to further reduce those wait times as quickly as possible, including for first-time tourist visa applicants," said the US Department of State. Also read; US Embassy to remain closed for a number of days Embassies and consulates may still require an in-person US Visa interview on a case-by-case basis and dependent upon local conditions. "We encourage applicants to check embassy and consulate websites for more detailed information about this development, as well as current operating status and services," reads the announcement.

The US Embassy in Dhaka will accept appointments for new applicants for F, J, and M visas from Sunday.  

The US Embassy in Dhaka started accepting interview-waiver applications for B1/B2 - tourism, business, and medical - visas from Sunday along with a number of nonimmigrant visa categories (C, C1/D, F, I, J, M, O, and Q).