Nigerians and other foreign travellers applying for United States B1/B2 business and tourist visas may now be required to post visa bonds of up to $15,000 under a new travel restriction introduced by the US Department of State.
Visa bonds are financial guarantees imposed on certain foreign nationals from countries classified as high-risk and are required as a condition for issuing B1/B2 visas. The policy further tightens entry requirements and follows the partial travel restrictions placed on Nigeria and several other countries by the US government about a week earlier.
Information published on the US Department of State’s website, Travel.State.Gov, indicates that payments made without the direction of a consular officer are non-refundable and do not guarantee automatic visa issuance.
Out of 38 countries listed under the new requirement, 24 are African nations, including Nigeria, according to the updated list released on Tuesday.
The Department of State said nationals from the affected countries have been identified as requiring visa bonds, with specific implementation dates assigned to each country.
Countries listed include 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 by country, with Nigeria scheduled to be affected from January 21, 2026.
In Nigeria’s case, the US cited the presence and activities of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in certain regions, which it said pose substantial screening and vetting challenges.
The Department also referenced visa overstay rates of 5.56 per cent for B1/B2 visas and 11.90 per cent for F, M, and J visas as part of the justification for Nigeria’s inclusion. Consequently, the partial travel suspension applies to both immigrant visas and several non-immigrant categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas.
Under the directive, applicants found eligible for B1/B2 visas must post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, with the exact amount determined during the visa interview.
Applicants are also required to submit the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 and agree to the bond terms through the US Department of the Treasury’s Pay.gov platform. The requirement applies regardless of where the visa application is submitted.
The policy further stipulates that visa holders who post bonds must enter 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.
Bonds will only be refunded after the Department of Homeland Security confirms that the visa holder departed the United States on or before the expiration of their authorised stay, if the applicant does not travel before the visa expires, or if the traveller applies for and is denied entry at a US port of entry.
Nigeria is among 15 mostly African countries placed under partial US travel suspensions on December 16, alongside Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, and others.
