COMPLETE ROSTER: Nigeria and 49 Additional Nations Impacted by New US Visa Requirement with $20,000 Security Deposit

The United States has now made its visa bond programme a permanent fixture, necessitating travellers from a total of 50 countries, including Nigeria and 29 other African nations, to pay a refundable bond of $20,000 before they can obtain specific categories of US visas.

n

This requirement applies to applicants seeking B1/B2 business and tourist visas who are otherwise eligible for a visa but are directed by a consular officer to provide a bond before issuance, as stated by the US Department of State.

n

The measure, initially introduced as a pilot scheme, aims to improve compliance with US immigration laws, and travellers who adhere to visa conditions and leave the country within the approved period will have their bonds refunded.

n

According to a federal notice posted online on Friday, consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.

n

The 2025 visa bond pilot 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 program, and has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.

n

The 50 countries whose nationals may be required to post the visa bond include Algeria, which was added on January 21, 2026, Angola, also added on January 21, 2026, and Antigua and Barbuda, which was added on the same date.

n

Other countries on the list include Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

n

Applicants who are directed to participate in the programme must complete the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352, and the government warned applicants not to submit the form or make any payment unless they receive instructions from a consular officer.

n

The bond may be paid by the applicant or a third party, including a relative, friend or business associate, and payments must be made through the U.S. government’s official Pay.gov platform after applicants receive a direct payment link.

n

The State Department cautioned against using unofficial websites, noting that it would not be responsible for payments made outside approved government channels, and added that the name of the person paying the bond must match the name of the obligor listed on Form I-352.

n

Paying the bond does not guarantee visa approval, and the department stressed that applicants who make payments without official instructions from a consular officer would not receive refunds.

n

Travellers covered by the visa bond requirement must enter and leave the United States through approved commercial airports, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance locations, and are not permitted to enter through charter flights, private aircraft, land border crossings or seaports under the programme.

n

The bond will be cancelled and refunded if the traveller leaves the United States on or before the date authorised by immigration officials, the visa holder does not travel to the United States before the visa expires, or the traveller is denied entry at a U.S. port of entry.

n

The Department of Homeland Security may determine that the bond has been breached if a traveller fails to comply with the programme’s conditions, including remaining in the United States beyond the authorised period, failing to depart after the approved stay expires, or violating the terms of the visa bond.

n

The programme is based on provisions of the US Immigration and Nationality Act and takes into account visitor overstay rates reported by the Department of Homeland Security, and the requirement applies to eligible applicants regardless of where they submit their visa applications.