The United States government has announced a new visa policy that could see Nigerian applicants for B1/B2 visitor visas asked to deposit financial bonds of up to $15,000 before being granted entry clearance.
Details published on the US Department of State’s official travel portal, Travel.State.Gov, explain that paying the bond does not automatically result in a visa being issued. It also warns that anyone paying a bond without being formally instructed to do so by a consular officer will not receive a refund.
Nigeria is one of 38 countries now listed under the updated programme released by the State Department on Tuesday, with 24 of the affected nations located in Africa.
Under the scheme, a visa bond serves as a financial commitment required from applicants from countries classified as ‘high-risk’ for overstaying. It applies specifically to those seeking short-term business and tourist visas under the B1/B2 category.
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The rol-out dates differ by country. For Nigeria, the new rule is scheduled to begin on January 21, 2026.
According to the State Department, nationals of the designated countries will be subject to the bond requirement, with the commencement dates listed in brackets for each country.
Countries on the list include: Algeria (21 January 2026), Angola (21 January 2026), Antigua and Barbuda (21 January 2026), Bangladesh (21 January 2026), Benin (21 January 2026), Bhutan (1 January 2026), Botswana (1 January 2026), Burundi (21 January 2026), Cabo Verde (21 January 2026), Central African Republic (1 January 2026), Côte d’Ivoire (21 January 2026), Cuba (21 January 2026), Djibouti (21 January 2026), and Dominica (21 January 2026).
Others affected are: Fiji (21 January 2026), Gabon (21 January 2026), The Gambia (11 October 2025), Guinea (1 January 2026), Guinea-Bissau (1 January 2026), Kyrgyzstan (21 January 2026), Malawi (20 August 2025), Mauritania (23 October 2025), Namibia (1 January 2026), and Nepal (21 January 2026).
Also listed are Nigeria (21 January 2026), São Tomé and Príncipe (23 October 2025), Senegal (21 January 2026), Tajikistan (21 January 2026), Tanzania (23 October 2025), Togo (21 January 2026), Tonga (21 January 2026), Turkmenistan (1 January 2026), Tuvalu (21 January 2026), Uganda (21 January 2026), Vanuatu (21 January 2026), Venezuela (21 January 2026), Zambia (20 August 2025), and Zimbabwe (21 January 2026).
The directive notes that any eligible applicant from these countries travelling on a national passport may be instructed to pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, with the specific figure determined during the visa interview.
Applicants must also complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 and accept the bond conditions via the Treasury’s Pay.gov platform. The rule applies irrespective of the embassy or consulate where the application is submitted.
Travellers who post bonds will be required to arrive in the United States through designated airports, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
Refunds will only be processed after US authorities confirm that the traveller departed the country on or before the end of their authorised stay, or in cases where the holder did not use the visa before it expired or was denied admission at the border.
This policy comes shortly after the US imposed partial travel restrictions on Nigeria and 14 other mainly African nations on December 16. At the time, Washington cited ongoing security concerns linked to extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in parts of Nigeria, which it said posed serious vetting challenges.
The US also referenced Nigeria’s overstay statistics — 5.56 percent for B1/B2 visa holders and 11.90 percent for holders of student and exchange visas — as part of the justification for the new measures, which cover both immigrant and key non-immigrant visa categories including B-1, B-2, F, M and J visas.
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The U.S. President Donald Trump, on December 16, added Nigeria to the list of nations on partial entry restrictions to the United States in a new measure targeted at “protecting the security of the United States.”
A new Proclamation released by the White House on Tuesday says that President Trump added Nigeria and 14 other nations to the list of countries partially restricted from entering the U.S., which also included Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
On the reason for including Nigeria to the list, the Proclamation said, “Radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate freely in certain parts of Nigeria, which creates substantial screening and vetting difficulties. According to the Overstay Report, Nigeria had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 11.90 percent.”
