Travelling to the United States could soon become more expensive for some Nigerians and citizens of 49 other countries following a new immigration policy that permanently introduces a refundable visa bond of up to $20,000 for selected applicants.
The U.S. Department of State announced that the visa bond programme, which was previously tested as a pilot scheme, has now been adopted as a permanent measure to encourage compliance with U.S. immigration laws.
Under the policy, certain applicants seeking B1/B2 business and tourist visas may be instructed by a U.S. consular officer to pay the bond before their visas are issued.
However, the U.S. government clarified that not every applicant from the affected countries will be required to pay the bond. The decision will be made case by case by a consular officer.
“Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance,” the State Department said.
It added that the visa bond pilot programme provided enough evidence to show that the system is an effective way of improving compliance among visitors.
“The 2025 visa bond pilot… has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders,” the notice stated.
How the Visa Bond Works
According to the State Department, the visa bond is fully refundable if the traveller complies with all U.S. immigration rules.
The bond will be returned if:
- The traveller leaves the United States before the authorised stay expires.
- The visa holder never uses the visa before it expires.
- The traveller is denied entry at a U.S. port of entry.
However, the bond may be forfeited if the traveller:
- Overstays the approved period.
- Fails to leave the U.S. after the authorised stay.
- Violates the conditions of the visa or immigration rules.
Important Information for Applicants
Applicants selected for the programme must complete Form I-352 issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The State Department stressed that applicants must not submit the form or make any payment unless specifically instructed by a U.S. consular officer.
The bond can be paid by:
- The applicant
- A family member
- A friend
- A business associate
Payments must only be made through the official Pay.gov platform after receiving a payment link from U.S. authorities.
The Department also warned that paying the bond does not automatically guarantee visa approval.
Travel Restrictions Under the Programme
Travellers covered by the visa bond programme must:
- Enter and leave the U.S. through approved commercial airports.
- Use approved U.S. Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance locations where applicable.
They cannot enter through:
- Charter flights
- Private aircraft
- Land border crossings
- Seaports
Full List of Countries Affected
The countries whose nationals may be required to pay the visa bond include:
- Algeria (January 21, 2026)
- Angola (January 21, 2026)
- Antigua and Barbuda (January 21, 2026)
- Bangladesh (January 21, 2026)
- Benin (January 21, 2026)
- Bhutan (January 1, 2026)
- Botswana (January 1, 2026)
- Burundi (January 21, 2026)
- Cabo Verde (January 21, 2026)
- Cambodia (April 2, 2026)
- Central African Republic (January 1, 2026)
- Côte d’Ivoire (January 21, 2026)
- Cuba (January 21, 2026)
- Djibouti (January 21, 2026)
- Dominica (January 21, 2026)
- Ethiopia (April 2, 2026)
- Fiji (January 21, 2026)
- Gabon (January 21, 2026)
- The Gambia (October 11, 2025)
- Georgia (April 2, 2026)
- Grenada (April 2, 2026)
- Guinea (January 1, 2026)
- Guinea-Bissau (January 1, 2026)
- Kyrgyz Republic (January 21, 2026)
- Lesotho (April 2, 2026)
- Malawi (August 20, 2025)
- Mauritania (October 23, 2025)
- Mauritius (April 2, 2026)
- Mongolia (April 2, 2026)
- Mozambique (April 2, 2026)
- Namibia (January 1, 2026)
- Nepal (January 21, 2026)
- Nicaragua (April 2, 2026)
- Nigeria (January 21, 2026)
- Papua New Guinea (April 2, 2026)
- São Tomé and Príncipe (October 23, 2025)
- Senegal (January 21, 2026)
- Seychelles (April 2, 2026)
- Tajikistan (January 21, 2026)
- Tanzania (October 23, 2025)
- Togo (January 21, 2026)
- Tonga (January 21, 2026)
- Tunisia (April 2, 2026)
- Turkmenistan (January 1, 2026)
- Tuvalu (January 21, 2026)
- Uganda (January 21, 2026)
- Vanuatu (January 21, 2026)
- Venezuela (January 21, 2026)
- Zambia (August 20, 2025)
- Zimbabwe (January 21, 2026)
The U.S. government said the programme is backed by the Immigration and Nationality Act and was introduced after reviewing visitor overstay rates and immigration compliance records.
Source: U.S. Department of State
