Full list: Nigeria, 49 other countries affected by new US $20,000 visa bond policy

• Nigeria is among 50 countries whose citizens may be required to pay a refundable US visa bond of up to $20,000.

• The requirement only applies if a US consular officer directs an applicant to post the bond for a B1/B2 visa.

• Travellers who obey visa rules and leave the US on time will get their money back, while those who overstay or breach conditions may lose it.

• The bond programme has now been made permanent after the US said its pilot phase helped improve compliance with immigration laws.

For many Nigerians already battling high US visa fees, long interview wait times and tougher immigration rules, there's now another possible hurdle.

The United States has officially made its visa bond programme permanent, meaning some travellers from 50 countries, including Nigeria and 29 other African countries, may be required to pay a refundable visa bond of up to $20,000 before receiving certain US visas.

The requirement mainly affects people applying for B1/B2 business and tourist visas, but it won't automatically apply to every applicant. Instead, a US consular officer will decide whether an individual must pay the bond before a visa is issued.

According to a federal notice published by the US Department of State, the programme was first tested as a pilot scheme in 2025. Following the results, the US government concluded that the policy helps ensure travellers obey immigration rules and return home before their authorised stay expires.

The notice stated: "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," it added.

If travellers comply with the conditions of their visa and leave the United States on time, the money will be refunded.

READ ALSO: See full list: 19 Lagos public schools receive 1,300 books from Ireland to boost reading culture

The countries whose citizens may be directed to pay the visa bond include:

• Algeria

• Angola

• Antigua and Barbuda

• Bangladesh

• Benin

• Bhutan

• Botswana

• Burundi

• Cabo Verde

• Cambodia

• Central African Republic

• Côte 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

• São Tomé and Príncipe

• Senegal

• Seychelles

• Tajikistan

• Tanzania

• Togo

• Tonga

• Tunisia

• Turkmenistan

• Tuvalu

• Uganda

• Vanuatu

• Venezuela

• Zambia

• Zimbabwe

Applicants who are instructed to participate in the programme must complete Form I-352 issued by the US Department of Homeland Security.

However, the US government warned applicants not to submit the form or pay any money unless a US consular officer specifically instructs them to do so.

The bond can be paid by the applicant or another person, including a relative, friend or business associate.

Payments must be made only through the US government's Pay.gov platform using an official payment link provided by the authorities.

Officials also stressed that paying the bond does not guarantee visa approval, and anyone who pays without official instructions will not receive a refund.

Travellers covered by the visa bond programme must enter and leave the United States through approved commercial airports or US Customs and Border Protection preclearance locations.

They will not be allowed to use charter flights, private aircraft, land border crossings or seaports under the programme.

According to the State Department, the visa bond will be cancelled and refunded if:

• The traveller leaves the US before the authorised stay expires.

• The visa holder never travels to the United States before the visa expires.

• The traveller is denied entry at a US port of entry.

READ ALSO: Spain battles border crisis after 49,000 migrants, including babies and women, arrive in one day

The Department of Homeland Security may keep the bond if the traveller violates the programme's conditions.

This includes:

• Staying longer than the authorised period.

• Failing to leave after the approved stay ends.

• Violating the terms of the visa bond, including certain immigration status adjustment situations.

The US government said the policy is backed by the Immigration and Nationality Act and is based partly on visitor overstay data collected by the Department of Homeland Security.

It also clarified that the rule applies to eligible applicants regardless of the country where they submit their US visa application.