The United States has announced new travel measures that may require Nigerians seeking B1/B2 business or tourist visas to provide visa bonds of up to $15,000.
Details published on the US Department of State’s website, Travel.State.Gov, clarify that payment of a bond does not guarantee visa approval, and any fees paid without a consular officer’s instruction are non-refundable.
In the updated list released on Tuesday, African countries made up 24 of the 38 nations affected, with Nigeria included among them.
Visa bonds serve as financial guarantees imposed by the US State Department on applicants from countries deemed high-risk, specifically those applying for B1/B2 visas for business or tourism.
Implementation dates differ by country, with Nigeria scheduled for January 21, 2026.
The US Department of State explained that nationals of the listed countries have been designated as requiring visa bonds, with specific implementation dates indicated for each country.
Affected countries include 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), Central African Republic (January 1, 2026), Côte d’Ivoire (January 21, 2026), Cuba (January 21, 2026), Djibouti (January 21, 2026), and Dominica (January 21, 2026).
Others include; Fiji (21 January 2026), Gabon (21 January 2026), The Gambia (11 October 2025), Guinea (1 January 2026), Guinea-Bissau (1 January 2026), Kyrgyzstan (21 January 2026), Malawi (20 August 2025), Mauritania (23 October 2025), Namibia (1 January 2026), Nepal (21 January 2026).
The rest are; Nigeria (21 January 2026), São Tomé and Príncipe (23 October 2025), Senegal (21 January 2026), Tajikistan (21 January 2026), Tanzania (23 October 2025), Togo (21 January 2026), Tonga (21 January 2026), Turkmenistan (1 January 2026), Tuvalu (21 January 2026), Uganda (21 January 2026), Vanuatu (21 January 2026), Venezuela (21 January 2026), Zambia (20 August 2025), and Zimbabwe (21 January 2026).
The directive states that, “Any citizen or national travelling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is otherwise found eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The amount is determined during the visa interview.
“Applicants must also submit the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352. Applicants must also agree to the terms of the bond through the US Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform, Pay.gov. This requirement applies regardless of the place of application.”
It added that Visa holders who post bonds must enter the United States through designated airports, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
Visa bonds will only be refunded once the Department of Homeland Security confirms that the visa holder departed the United States on or before the end of their authorised stay, if the applicant does not travel before the visa expires, or if the traveller applies for entry and is denied admission at a US port of entry.
The move comes shortly after the United States imposed partial travel restrictions on Nigeria.
On December 16, Nigeria was listed among 15 mainly African countries—including Angola, Antigua, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon and The Gambia—placed under partial travel suspensions by the US government.
