The United States will permanently require certain visitor visa applicants from 50 countries, including Nigeria, to post refundable bonds of up to $20,000, the State Department said.
The move follows a year-long pilot programme launched in August 2025 that the department said proved effective in curbing visa overstays.
“The pilot had provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders,” the State Department stated in a draft notice.
Consular officers may set bonds at $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 depending on an applicant’s circumstances. The standard amount will generally be $15,000. It can be lowered to $10,000 if the applicant cannot afford more but can still fund the trip, or raised to $20,000 if stronger ties to the United States raise overstay concerns.
The new amounts are higher than the pilot’s range of $5,000 to $15,000. Bonds are refunded if travellers leave before their authorised stay ends, do not travel, or are denied entry.
Nationals from the 50 countries recorded 45,488 overstays in the 2024 financial year, compared with fewer than 50 in the first 10 months of the pilot. Visa issuances to those nationalities fell 83 per cent during the trial, partly because many applicants declined to pay the bond.
The rule applies to passport holders from the listed countries regardless of where they apply. Officers may also weigh purpose of travel, employment, income, education and skills when setting the amount.
The countries include Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe, among others. The list may be updated with at least 15 days’ notice for additions.
