The United States began requiring certain Nigerian and other 30 African business and tourist visa applicants to post bonds of up to 20,000 dollars starting Monday, August 3, 2026.
The permanent Visa Bond Programme, announced by the Department of State, is to ensure that visitors leave the country when their authorised stay ends.
Officials said the measure responds to high rates of visa overstays and inadequate information sharing by several African countries.
The policy targets applicants from nations with elevated overstay rates, weak information exchange, insufficient identity verification, criminal-record gaps, and shortcomings in screening, vetting, and the security of travel and civil documents.
The Department of State linked the rule to Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which directs the Treasury, State, and Homeland Security departments to strengthen bond administration under U.S. immigration law.
In a related advisory, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria cautioned applicants against submitting AI-edited or filtered passport photographs.
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