The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has introduced new immigration rules across Pakistan, barring officers from offloading passengers solely on verbal instructions and requiring immigration decisions to be documented in the country’s digital border management system.
Standing Order No. 07/2026, a 12-page directive, has taken immediate effect and replaces the previous standing order issued in 2005, according to the document. It applies to immigration operations at airports, seaports and dry ports across Pakistan.
The revised procedures introduce requirements for written decisions, digital record-keeping, risk-based screening and greater accountability for immigration officers.
FIA Ends Offloading Based Solely on Verbal Instructions
Under the new standing order, immigration officers can no longer prevent passengers from travelling solely on the basis of verbal instructions.
The change establishes a formal documentation requirement for immigration decisions and is intended to make the process more accountable.
The supplied details do not specify every circumstance in which a passenger may legally be stopped from travelling, so the new rule should not be interpreted as removing the FIA’s lawful immigration enforcement powers.
The directive also supersedes earlier instructions concerning the general duties of immigration officers wherever those instructions conflict with the new procedures.
Immigration Decisions Must Be Recorded in IBMS
The standing order requires immigration decisions to be fully recorded in the Integrated Border Management System (IBMS).
Digital documentation is intended to create a record of decisions made during immigration checks and improve accountability for the officers involved.
Written decisions and recorded information can also help establish how a particular case was handled.
The directive further introduces risk-based screening as part of the revised immigration process. The document’s detailed provisions would need to be reviewed to establish the specific criteria and procedures officers must follow when assessing individual passengers.
New Rules Apply Across Pakistan’s Entry and Exit Points
The FIA’s new immigration standing order covers operations at airports, seaports and dry ports throughout the country.
By extending the same overarching framework across these entry and exit points, the directive updates procedures that had been governed by the previous order issued in 2005.
Standing Order No. 07/2026 took effect immediately and is scheduled for periodic review, according to the document. It also takes precedence over conflicting earlier instructions on the general duties of immigration officers.
The practical impact will depend on how the revised procedures are implemented, how consistently officers document their decisions and how effectively compliance is monitored.
For passengers, the key change reported so far is that an immigration officer cannot offload someone solely on verbal instructions. The full standing order remains the relevant document for determining the procedures, legal grounds and safeguards that apply in individual cases.
