The United States has made permanent its visa bond programme, introducing a refundable bond of up to $20,000 for certain travellers from 50 countries, including Nigeria, seeking some categories of non-immigrant visas.
The new policy, announced by the US Department of State in a federal notice published on Friday, is aimed at improving compliance with American immigration laws by reducing the number of visitors who overstay their visas.
Under the programme, applicants for B1/B2 business and tourist visas may be required by a US consular officer to pay the bond before their visas are issued. However, the requirement will not apply automatically to every applicant from the affected countries.
Instead, consular officers will determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether a visa applicant should be asked to provide the bond.
The State Department explained that the programme, which was first introduced in 2025 as a pilot scheme, had produced enough results to justify making it a permanent part of the US visa process.
According to the department, the pilot programme demonstrated that visa bonds could serve as an effective tool for encouraging travellers to comply with the terms of their visas.
The federal notice stated: “Consular officers may require covered non-immigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.
“The 2025 visa bond pilot, which provided a framework for the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of the Treasury to assess the feasibility of administering a visa bond programme, has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond programme is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.”
The bond is fully refundable, provided the traveller complies with all the conditions attached to the visa.
According to the State Department, visitors who leave the United States before the expiration of their authorised stay will receive a full refund of the money.
The refund will also apply if a visa holder never travels to the United States before the visa expires or if the traveller is refused entry at a US port of entry after arriving in the country.
However, travellers who violate the conditions of the programme risk losing the bond.
The Department of Homeland Security may declare the bond forfeited if the visitor remains in the United States beyond the approved period, fails to leave after the authorised stay expires or breaches other conditions attached to the visa.
The programme also sets strict travel conditions for participants.
Travellers covered by the visa bond must enter and leave the United States through approved commercial airports or designated US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facilities.
They will not be permitted to enter the country through charter flights, private aircraft, land border crossings or seaports under the programme.
The State Department also outlined the process for making the payment.
Applicants selected for the programme must complete the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 after receiving instructions from a US consular officer.
The bond may be paid by the applicant or by another person, including a family member, friend or business associate.
Payments must be made only through the US government’s official Pay.gov platform using a payment link provided by the consular officer.
The department warned applicants not to make any payment unless they receive official instructions, stressing that payments made outside the approved process would not qualify for refunds.
It also cautioned applicants against using unofficial websites, saying the US government would not accept responsibility for payments made through unauthorised platforms.
In addition, the State Department said the name of the person making the payment must match the name of the obligor listed on Form I-352.
Officials also stressed that paying the bond does not guarantee visa approval, as all applicants must still satisfy the normal requirements for obtaining a US visa.
Nigeria is among 50 countries whose citizens may be required to pay the visa bond.
The affected countries include 30 African nations, namely Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Other countries on the list are Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cuba, Dominica, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Venezuela.
The implementation dates differ from country to country. For Nigeria, the programme takes effect from January 21, 2026.
The new visa bond policy comes as the United States continues to tighten immigration enforcement and reduce the number of visitors who violate the conditions of their visas.
According to US authorities, the programme is based on provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act and relies partly on visa overstay data compiled by the Department of Homeland Security.
US officials have repeatedly expressed concern over visitors who remain in the country after their authorised stay has expired, saying such violations place additional pressure on the country’s immigration system.
The State Department said the programme will apply to eligible applicants regardless of where they submit their visa applications, meaning Nigerians applying from countries outside Nigeria may still be required to provide the bond if directed by a consular officer.
The latest policy is expected to affect thousands of Nigerians who travel to the United States each year for business, tourism, family visits and other short-term purposes.
While many applicants may never be asked to pay the bond, those selected under the programme will have to meet the additional financial requirement before their visas can be issued.
The announcement also follows recent changes to US visa procedures affecting several countries, reflecting Washington’s broader efforts to strengthen immigration controls while encouraging visitors to comply with the conditions of their stay.