Nigerians who want to get B1/B2 (business and tourism) visas may have to put up a bond of up to $15,000 because of new visa rules in the United States.
Travel, the U.S. Department of State’s website, says thatState.The bond is a promise of money, but it doesn’t guarantee that your visa will be approved. The State Department also said that if you pay a bail without the clear instructions of a consular officer, you won’t get your money back.
The U.S. State Department’s new list, which came out yesterday, shows that 24 of the 38 affected countries are in Africa, including Nigeria.
Certain foreign nationals from nations that the U.S. considers to be high-risk must have visa bonds.
The bond is a promise that people with visas would follow the rules of their stay and leave the United States before their authorized time runs out.
Dates for implementation differ from country to country. The visa bond requirement will start on January 21, 2026, for Nigeria.
The Department of State said that those from the nations on the list who are otherwise qualified for B1/B2 visas will need to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The exact amount will be decided at the visa interview.
No matter where the visa application is sent, applicants must additionally fill out the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 and agree to the bond terms using the U.S. Treasury’s online payment site, Pay.gov.
The directive affects Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, the 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. The implementation dates range from August 2025 to January 2026.
The instruction also says that visa holders who post bonds must enter the United States through certain airports, such as John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Boston Logan International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The Department of Homeland Security will only give refunds if the visa holder left the U.S. on or before the end of their authorized stay, if the visa expired without travel, or if the traveler was turned away at a U.S. port of entry.
This news comes just a week after the U.S. put some travel restrictions on Nigeria and 14 other primarily African countries. The U.S. government claimed that terrorist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State make it very hard to check and vet people in Nigeria.
The U.S. government also used Nigeria’s visa overstay rates of 5.56 percent for B1/B2 visas and 11.90 percent for F, M, and J visas as a reason. Because of this, the limits apply to both immigrant and non-immigrant visas, such as B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas.
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