U.S. makes $20,000 visa bond permanent, keeps Nigeria on list
By Aboki Forex —
Nigeria remains under the United States permanent visa bond programme, with consular officers empowered to require bonds of up to $20,000 from certain B-1/B-2 visitor visa applicants. The U.S. Department of State announced the final rule in Public Notice 13089, making permanent a scheme that started as a one-year pilot.
The permanent rule takes effect on Monday, August 3, 2026, the same day it is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register. Nigeria, which was added to the pilot on January 21, 2026, will stay on the list.
What the permanent visa bond rule says
The final rule establishes three bond levels: $10,000, $15,000, and $20,000. The standard amount is $15,000 unless a consular officer decides a lower or higher amount is appropriate based on an applicant's circumstances.
Applicants must pay the bond electronically through the U.S. Treasury's payment platform before a visa is issued. The bond is refunded if the visa holder complies with the terms of admission and departs the United States before the authorised stay expires. It can be forfeited for overstaying, violating visa conditions, filing certain immigration applications outside prescribed timelines, or breaching other requirements.
The State Department said: “This rule finalizes the temporary final rule that went into effect on August 20, 2025, which launched a 12-month long Visa Bond Pilot Program (Pilot Program), and establishes a permanent visa bond program. An alien applying for a visa as a temporary visitor for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) may be required to submit a bond (‘visa bond’).”
“To ensure that the alien maintains his or her nonimmigrant status and departs as required. 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 notice stated.
Why Nigeria is on the list
The bond requirement applies to nationals of countries identified based on factors including high visa overstay rates, deficient information sharing, inadequate identity verification and criminal records, as well as weaknesses in screening, vetting, and travel document security.
U.S. authorities cited security concerns, including the activities of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State, which they said created substantial screening and vetting challenges. They also referenced an overstay rate of 5.56% for B-1/B-2 visas and 11.90% for F, M, and J visas as justification for Nigeria's inclusion.
Affected countries will continue to be published on travel.state.gov at least 15 days before any new country is added. Countries removed from the list will no longer be subject to the requirement immediately.
How we got here
The U.S. imposed partial travel restrictions on Nigerian visa applicants on December 16, 2025, listing Nigeria among 15 predominantly African nations facing tighter visa controls. Weeks later, on January 21, 2026, Nigeria was added to the Visa Bond Pilot Program, which then covered 38 countries, with 24 of them African.
Under the pilot, applicants from affected countries could be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 depending on the outcome of their visa interviews. The State Department now says the permanent programme follows the pilot's success in reducing visa overstays. The pilot covered 50 countries and recorded fewer than 50 overstays in its first 10 months, compared with 45,488 overstays from the same countries in fiscal year 2024. Visa issuances to affected countries fell by 83% during that period, partly because some applicants withdrew after being asked to post a bond.
What it means for Nigerian travellers
The permanent rule raises the maximum bond from $15,000 to $20,000 and keeps Nigeria on the list. For Nigerian business travellers and tourists on B-1/B-2 visas, this means a higher potential cost and more uncertainty at the visa stage. Bond payments do not guarantee visa issuance, and any payment made without the express direction of a consular officer will not be refunded.