US visa may be cancelled if holder is arrested, embassy warns in stern message

The US Embassy in Dhaka has issued a stern warning that an existing US visa may be cancelled if the holder is arrested in any case. The embassy also warned that an arrested person could be sent back home from the United States and risk being declared permanently ineligible for any US visa in future.

The information was given in a warning message published on the embassy's verified Facebook page on Saturday. The message states directly: if you are arrested, your US visa may be cancelled, you may be sent back from the United States, and you may be considered ineligible for a US visa in future.

The warning is particularly important for Bangladeshis staying in the United States and those wishing to travel there, because the embassy has made clear that a single incident such as an arrest can put not only an ongoing trip but all future visa prospects at risk.

In an earlier message, the embassy had clarified what activities can lawfully be carried out on the widely used B1/B2 visitor visa. According to that message, holders of this category can travel in the US, spend holidays, shop, meet relatives and friends, and attend business meetings, conferences and gatherings.

However, the embassy specially warned that there is no legal validity to taking any job or engaging in any paid work while staying in the US on a B1/B2 visa — meaning going on a visitor visa and working is also a breach of the rules.

Taken together, the two consecutive messages make the embassy's position clear: obeying visa conditions is not only a legal obligation but also the condition for preserving the opportunity to travel to the United States in future, and breaching them can have long-term consequences.

The message mentions deportation separately alongside visa cancellation, meaning a person arrested while staying in the US cannot be sure of continuing that stay and may face the process of being sent back home.

The sternest part is future ineligibility. According to the embassy, an arrested person risks being considered permanently ineligible for any US visa afterwards — so a single incident could close the door to the United States for life.

Every year many Bangladeshis apply to the US for study, work, treatment and travel. Against that backdrop, the embassy's warning has brought the importance of obeying the law back to the fore for those abroad and those wishing to go.

While staying in the US, avoiding involvement in any dispute and following local laws, from traffic rules onwards, is the safe course — because, as the embassy says, any arrest can put the future of the visa in question.

Since its publication on social media, the embassy's message has sparked discussion among visa hopefuls, with many feeling it is now even more important to know the rules well before applying and while staying in the United States.

For visa holders and applicants, the course is now clear: follow the embassy's guidance, avoid breaches such as working on a visitor visa, and keep away from any legal trouble while in the United States.