New policy affects business and tourist visa applicants from 30 African countries as Washington tightens immigration controls over visa overstays and identity verification concerns.
The United States has commenced the implementation of a permanent Visa Bond Programme requiring certain business and tourist visa applicants from Nigeria and 29 other African countries to pay refundable bonds of up to $20,000 before travelling to America.
The policy, which took effect on Monday, August 3, marks one of Washington’s latest immigration enforcement measures aimed at curbing visa overstays and strengthening border security.
Who is affected?
According to the U.S. Department of State, the programme applies to applicants seeking B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas from countries identified as having high visa overstay rates and deficiencies in identity verification, information sharing and security screening.
Under the programme, eligible applicants may be required to deposit between several thousand dollars and as much as $20,000 as a financial guarantee that they will leave the United States before the expiration of their authorised stay.
The bond will be refunded once the traveller complies with U.S. immigration rules and departs within the approved period. Failure to do so could result in the forfeiture of the deposit.
Why U.S. introduced the policy
The State Department said the measure is intended to strengthen compliance with U.S. immigration laws while addressing concerns over inadequate cooperation by some countries in sharing identity and criminal history information.
Officials explained that countries selected for the programme were identified based on several factors, including elevated visa overstay rates, weak information exchange mechanisms, insufficient identity verification systems, gaps in criminal-record sharing, and shortcomings in screening, vetting, and the security of travel and civil documents.
Backed by Executive Order
The programme is being implemented pursuant to Executive Order 14159, titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which directs the Departments of State, Treasury and Homeland Security to reinforce the administration of immigration bonds under existing U.S. law.
The latest measure represents a significant tightening of U.S. entry requirements for affected travellers and is expected to have implications for business visitors, tourists and travel agencies across the affected countries.
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Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has issued an advisory reminding visa applicants to submit only authentic passport photographs during the application process.
The embassy warned that photographs altered with artificial intelligence tools, beauty filters or digital editing software do not meet official visa requirements and could lead to delays or rejection of applications.
Applicants were urged to ensure that all supporting documents and photographs accurately reflect their appearance to avoid complications during visa processing.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.