US imposes up to $15,000 visa bond requirement for Nigerian visitors, others

The Donald Trump administration has imposed a new travel restriction on Nigeria, requiring that Nigerians seeking to enter the United States on a B1/B2 visa post bonds of up to $15,000 before being granted entry.

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The US Department of State disclosed this in a notice shared on its website on Tuesday.

The B1/B2 visa is a US non-immigrant visitor visa that allows short-term travel for business and tourism, such as attending meetings, conferences, or visiting family and friends.

This new policy, which takes effect on 21 January, comes only a few weeks after the US government imposed restrictions on several visa categories.

The government barred entry for Nigerians seeking to enter the US as green card holders, or on B‑1, B‑2, B‑1/B‑2, F, M, and J visas. The US had cited high rates of visa overstays and insecurity as reasons for the restrictions.

However, most of the countries added to the new list are African, with some Latin American and Asian countries.

Countries on the list, aside from Nigeria, are Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, and Nepal.

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Other countries are Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, Zambia, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

The bond is a financial guarantee paid to the US government to ensure that a visitor complies with the terms of their visa. It is designed to deter overstaying or unauthorised work.

If the visitor leaves the US on or before the date permitted under their visa, the bond is refunded. If they overstay or violate visa conditions, the bond may be forfeited, in part or in full.

The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on immigration, which began when he returned to office about a year ago.

With Nigeria added to the bond list, it will become even more difficult for citizens to obtain a US visa, as the bond amount is unaffordable for many.

“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.

“Applicants must also submit the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352. Applicants must also agree to the terms of the bond through the US Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform, Pay.gov. This requirement applies regardless of the place of application,” the statement read.

The State Department noted that the bond does not mean applicants will have their visas automatically approved. But the amount will be refunded if the visa is denied or if a visa holder demonstrates compliance with the visa terms.

The State Department further noted that visa holders who post bonds must enter the US through designated airports, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.