Nigerian applicants for United States B1/B2 business or tourist visas may soon be required to post visa bonds of up to $15,000 under a new policy announced by the US government.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to the US Department of State, the bond requirement will apply to certain applicants from countries classified as “high-risk,” with Nigeria listed among 24 African nations affected. The policy is scheduled to take effect in Nigeria on January 21, 2026.
The department stressed that payment of a bond does not guarantee visa approval and warned that fees paid without the direction of a consular officer would not be refunded.
It said:
“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 of the bond will be determined during the visa interview. Applicants will also be required to submit the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 and accept the bond conditions through the US Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform, Pay.gov.
Other African countries on the list include Benin, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon and The Gambia.
Under the new rules, visa holders subject to the bond requirement must enter the United States through designated ports of entry, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The State Department explained that bonds will only be refunded if the visa holder departs the US on or before the expiration of their authorised stay, does not travel before the visa expires, or is denied entry at a US port of entry.
The policy follows partial travel restrictions imposed by the United States on Nigeria and 14 other countries in mid-December 2025. The restrictions were linked to security concerns, including the presence of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates, as well as high visa overstay rates.
The move is widely seen as part of Washington’s broader efforts to tighten screening and vetting procedures for visitors from countries considered to pose elevated security or immigration risks.
