The United States has introduced a mandatory visa bond system requiring Nigerians and nationals from 37 other countries to post financial guarantees of up to $15,000 when applying for B1/B2 business or tourist visas, marking a significant escalation in entry restrictions for travellers from designated high-risk nations.
The new requirement, announced by the US Department of State on Tuesday, takes effect for Nigeria on January 21, 2026, and applies to all citizens or nationals travelling on Nigerian passports who are otherwise eligible for B1/B2 visa categories, regardless of where they submit their applications.
According to information published on Travel.State.Gov, the official website of the US Department of State, visa bonds serve as financial guarantees demanded from foreign nationals originating from countries the American government has classified as high-risk, particularly those seeking entry for business or tourism purposes.
The Department stipulated that the specific bond amount—whether $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000—will be determined by consular officers during individual visa interviews, with applicants required to submit the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 and agree to bond terms through the US Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform, Pay.gov.
“Any citizen or national travelling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is otherwise found eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The amount is determined during the visa interview,” the directive stated.
The Department of State explicitly warned that fees paid without the direction of a consular officer will not be refunded and do not guarantee automatic visa issuance, placing the financial risk squarely on applicants even before their visa applications receive final adjudication.
Of the 38 nations now subject to the visa bond requirement, African countries account for 24, underscoring the disproportionate impact of the policy on the continent. The comprehensive list includes Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Implementation dates vary across the affected nations, with some restrictions having already commenced. The Gambia’s requirements took effect on October 11, 2025, while Malawi and Zambia’s began on August 20, 2025. Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Tanzania faced implementation from October 23, 2025, and several countries including Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan saw their bond requirements activated on January 1, 2026.
For Nigeria and the majority of listed countries, the January 21, 2026 implementation date represents less than two weeks’ notice for prospective travellers and follows closely on the heels of broader travel restrictions imposed by Washington in December.
The US government justified Nigeria’s inclusion by citing security concerns related to the presence and operations of radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in certain regions of the country, which officials claim result in “substantial screening and vetting difficulties” for visa adjudication.
Additionally, American authorities pointed to Nigeria’s visa overstay rates as a critical factor in the decision. According to US data, Nigeria recorded an overstay rate of 5.56 per cent for B1/B2 visas and a significantly higher 11.90 per cent for F, M, and J visas—categories covering students, vocational trainees, and exchange visitors—suggesting that more than one in ten Nigerians entering the United States on educational or exchange programmes fail to depart when their authorised stay expires.
The visa bond policy represents the latest in a series of tightening restrictions on Nigerian travellers. On December 16, 2025, Nigeria was among 15 predominantly African countries—including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, and The Gambia—placed under partial travel suspensions by the US government.
That earlier restriction covered immigrant visas and several non-immigrant categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, effectively limiting pathways for both permanent migration and temporary visits for business, tourism, education, and cultural exchange.
The cumulative effect of these measures has created substantial barriers for Nigerians seeking to travel to the United States, whether for business opportunities, tourism, family visits, educational pursuits, or professional training. The financial burden alone—potentially reaching $15,000 per applicant—places international travel beyond the reach of many middle-class Nigerians, particularly given the country’s current economic challenges and the naira’s depreciation against the US dollar.
Under the new system, visa holders who successfully post bonds and receive their visas face additional constraints on their entry into the United States. They must arrive through designated airports specifically identified by immigration authorities: Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Entry through any other US port of entry would presumably violate the terms of their visa approval.
The Department of State outlined limited circumstances under which posted bonds may be refunded. Refunds will be processed when the Department of Homeland Security officially records the visa holder’s departure from the United States on or before the expiration of their authorised stay, when the applicant does not travel before the visa expires, or when a traveller applies for admission at a US port of entry but is denied entry by immigration officials.
These conditions place the burden of proof on the visa holder to ensure proper documentation of their departure and compliance with all terms of admission, with any administrative delays or recording errors potentially resulting in bond forfeiture.
The policy’s implementation comes at a particularly sensitive moment in Nigeria-US relations, as Africa’s most populous nation grapples with complex security challenges in its northeast and northwest regions while simultaneously working to strengthen economic ties with Western partners and attract foreign investment.
Nigerian government officials have not yet issued a formal response to the bond requirement, though the policy is likely to generate diplomatic discussions given its potential impact on business travel, educational exchange, and people-to-people connections between the two nations.
The broader context of American immigration policy shows an increasing emphasis on enforcement mechanisms designed to reduce visa overstays and irregular migration. Visa bonds represent one tool in this enforcement arsenal, creating financial incentives for compliance with departure requirements while generating revenue that can be forfeited if travellers violate the terms of their admission.
However, critics of such policies argue that blanket application based on nationality rather than individual risk assessment may be discriminatory and counterproductive, potentially damaging legitimate business relationships, educational opportunities, and cultural exchanges while doing little to address the underlying factors that contribute to visa overstays.
