The United States has rolled out fresh travel measures that may compel Nigerian applicants for B1/B2 business and tourist visas to pay a visa bond of as much as $15,000.
Details published on the US Department of State’s official website, Travel.State.Gov, explain that paying the bond does not automatically qualify an applicant for a visa. The department also noted that any payment made without a consular officer’s instruction will not be refunded.
An updated list released by the US State Department on Tuesday shows that African countries make up 24 of the 38 nations affected by the policy, with Nigeria included.
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Visa bonds serve as financial guarantees imposed on applicants from countries designated as high-risk who are seeking B1/B2 visas for tourism or business.
Implementation timelines differ across countries, but Nigeria’s effective date has been fixed for January 21, 2026.
According to the Department of State, nationals of the listed countries have been identified as requiring visa bonds, with specific start dates attached to each country.
The affected countries include Algeria (21 January 2026), Angola (21 January 2026), Antigua and Barbuda (21 January 2026), Bangladesh (21 January 2026), Benin (21 January 2026), Bhutan (1 January 2026), Botswana (1 January 2026), Burundi (21 January 2026), Cabo Verde (21 January 2026), Central African Republic (1 January 2026), Côte d’Ivoire (21 January 2026), Cuba (21 January 2026), Djibouti (21 January 2026), and Dominica (21 January 2026).
Others listed are Fiji (21 January 2026), Gabon (21 January 2026), The Gambia (11 October 2025), Guinea (1 January 2026), Guinea-Bissau (1 January 2026), Kyrgyzstan (21 January 2026), Malawi (20 August 2025), Mauritania (23 October 2025), Namibia (1 January 2026), and Nepal (21 January 2026).
The remaining countries include Nigeria (21 January 2026), São Tomé and Príncipe (23 October 2025), Senegal (21 January 2026), Tajikistan (21 January 2026), Tanzania (23 October 2025), Togo (21 January 2026), Tonga (21 January 2026), Turkmenistan (1 January 2026), Tuvalu (21 January 2026), Uganda (21 January 2026), Vanuatu (21 January 2026), Venezuela (21 January 2026), Zambia (20 August 2025), and Zimbabwe (21 January 2026).
The directive states that, **“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.”**
It further explained that visa holders who pay the bond must enter the US through approved airports, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
Refunds will only be issued when the Department of Homeland Security confirms that the visa holder exited the US on or before the authorised stay expired, if the visa expires without travel, or if the traveller applies for entry and is refused admission at a US port.
The move comes shortly after the US placed partial travel restrictions on Nigeria and several other countries. On December 16, Nigeria was among 15 largely African nations subjected to partial travel suspensions by the US government.
For Nigeria, the US cited the activities of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in some regions, which it said posed “substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
The US also referenced Nigeria’s visa overstay rates — 5.56 per cent for B1/B2 visas and 11.90 per cent for F, M, and J visas — as part of the justification. Consequently, the suspension covered both immigrant visas and several non-immigrant categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas.
