The United States has made permanent its visa bond programme, requiring certain travellers from 50 countries to pay a refundable $20,000 visa bond before they can obtain some categories of US visas.
The US Department of State said the 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.
The department in a federal notice posted online on Friday, July 31, explained that the measure, which was initially introduced as a pilot scheme, is aimed at improving compliance with US immigration laws.
Travellers who adhere to visa conditions and leave the country within the approved period will have their bonds refunded.
The notice read, “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.
“The 2025 visa bond pilot, which 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, has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.”
Out of the 50 countries on the list, 30 are African nations and that includes Nigeria.
See the full list below:
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)
Cote 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)
Sao Tome and Principe (October 23, 2025)
Senegal (January 21, 2026)
Seychelles (April 2, 2026)