9 ms·

Why Bhutan of all places?

z2 9mo ago
Seems it's because out of the low hundreds people total who visited in a year and were expected to leave the US, some large percent didn't leave, joining the double-digit overstayers club. https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/25_0912_cbp_entry-exit-overstay-report-fiscal-year-2024.pdf https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/25_0912_cbp_...
- nograpes 9mo ago
  Thanks for the link, to save anyone else the trouble, it seems that the rate for Bhutan is 89 out of 423 (21%) in country overstays. Average overstay rate for non visa waiver countries is 2.2%.
  - 0xbadcafebee 9mo ago
    I don't think it was mentioned, but Bhutan minority groups have experienced ethnic cleansing and oppression; we used to accept their refugees, but now we probably don't, so it's likely that these overstays are actually people fleeing or related to those fleeing persecution. Another fun externality of politicians persecuting immigrants based on statistics.
darth_avocado 9mo ago
Bhutan doesn’t have formal diplomatic relations with US. They’re the one of the two countries in Asia that doesn’t have a US embassy, the other being North Korea. (Not suggesting that they’re NK) It’s probably because they just don’t have relationship with the US.
- em-bee 9mo ago
  bhutan has the lowest number of international relations it appears that they intentionally avoid relationships with countries that could try to unduly influence them. https://youtu.be/dA2laOQjZvQ https://youtu.be/dA2laOQjZvQ
kylehotchkiss 9mo ago
State Department was commanded to make a list of countries by visa overstay rate and all decisions made based on that sheet regardless of merit. Just like tariffs were decided, and a bunch of microscopic pacific islands are being judged by trade deficits.
- badc0ffee 9mo ago
  Visa overstay rate does at least relate to the issue at hand, because visa overstays are what they're trying to prevent. But trade deficits were never a good proxy.
  - joecool1029 9mo ago
    It's just weird they were even on the radar. I guess I could see a blanket 'any country with over 10% overstaying, bond required'. Otherwise can't think of any identity/tribal reason... maybe tobacco lobbyists requested since they tried to ban smoking?

z2 9mo ago

Seems it's because out of the low hundreds people total who visited in a year and were expected to leave the US, some large percent didn't leave, joining the double-digit overstayers club. https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/25_0912_cbp_entry-exit-overstay-report-fiscal-year-2024.pdf https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/25_0912_cbp_...

nograpes 9mo ago
Thanks for the link, to save anyone else the trouble, it seems that the rate for Bhutan is 89 out of 423 (21%) in country overstays. Average overstay rate for non visa waiver countries is 2.2%.
- 0xbadcafebee 9mo ago
  I don't think it was mentioned, but Bhutan minority groups have experienced ethnic cleansing and oppression; we used to accept their refugees, but now we probably don't, so it's likely that these overstays are actually people fleeing or related to those fleeing persecution. Another fun externality of politicians persecuting immigrants based on statistics.

darth_avocado 9mo ago

Bhutan doesn’t have formal diplomatic relations with US. They’re the one of the two countries in Asia that doesn’t have a US embassy, the other being North Korea. (Not suggesting that they’re NK) It’s probably because they just don’t have relationship with the US.

em-bee 9mo ago
bhutan has the lowest number of international relations it appears that they intentionally avoid relationships with countries that could try to unduly influence them. https://youtu.be/dA2laOQjZvQ https://youtu.be/dA2laOQjZvQ

kylehotchkiss 9mo ago

State Department was commanded to make a list of countries by visa overstay rate and all decisions made based on that sheet regardless of merit. Just like tariffs were decided, and a bunch of microscopic pacific islands are being judged by trade deficits.

badc0ffee 9mo ago
Visa overstay rate does at least relate to the issue at hand, because visa overstays are what they're trying to prevent. But trade deficits were never a good proxy.
- joecool1029 9mo ago
  It's just weird they were even on the radar. I guess I could see a blanket 'any country with over 10% overstaying, bond required'. Otherwise can't think of any identity/tribal reason... maybe tobacco lobbyists requested since they tried to ban smoking?