Nigeria is among the countries whose eligible travellers will remain subject to the United States’ permanent visa bond programme, with consular officers empowered to require bonds of up to $20,000 for certain visitor visa applicants from Monday, August 3. The U.S. Department of State announced the policy in a final rule contained in Public Notice 13089, establishing a permanent Visa Bond Program after a one-year pilot scheme. Under the rule, eligible B-1/B-2 business and tourist visa applicants from designated countries may be required to post a bond of $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 as a condition for visa issuance, depending on an individual assessment. Nigeria, which was added to the Visa Bond Pilot Program on January 21, 2026, will remain under the programme when the permanent rule takes effect on Monday, August 3, 2026, the same day it is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register. What they are saying
The U.S. Department of State said the permanent programme is designed to ensure that certain temporary visitors comply with the terms of their visas and depart the United States before their authorised stay expires.
The Department noted that the rule formalises the temporary pilot programme launched in August 2025. “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. According to the Department, 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.
The Department added that the list of affected countries will continue to be published on travel.state.gov at least 15 days before any new country is added, while countries removed from the list will no longer be subject to the requirement immediately. How the visa bond will work
The final rule establishes three bond levels of $10,000, $15,000, and $20,000, with $15,000 expected to be the standard amount unless a consular officer determines that 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 can be issued. The bond will be refunded if the applicant complies with the terms of admission and departs the United States before the authorised period of stay expires.
The bond may be forfeited if a visa holder overstays an authorised period of admission, violates visa conditions, files certain immigration applications outside prescribed timelines, or breaches other programme requirements. The Department said the decision to make the programme permanent followed the success of the one-year Visa Bond Pilot Program, which it said reduced visa overstays and improved compliance with U.S. immigration rules. According to the Department, the pilot eventually covered 50 countries and recorded fewer than 50 overstays during its first 10 months, compared with 45,488 overstays from the same countries in fiscal year 2024. It also noted that visa issuances to affected countries declined by 83% during the period, partly because some applicants chose not to continue with their applications after being required to post a bond. Get up to speed
Nairametrics reported in January 2026 that the United States introduced new travel restrictions requiring eligible Nigerians applying for B-1/B-2 business and tourism visas to post a visa bond of up to $15,000 under the pilot programme. The pilot programme was launched by the U.S.
Department of State in August 2025 and stated that payment of a bond does not guarantee visa issuance, while any payment made without the express direction of a consular officer would not be refunded. The requirement took effect for Nigeria on January 21, 2026, just weeks after the U.S. imposed partial travel restrictions on Nigerian visa applicants.
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Under the pilot directive, Nigeria was among 38 countries whose nationals were required to post visa bonds when applying for B-1/B-2 visas, with African countries accounting for 24 of those listed. The Department of State said eligible 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 pilot programme has now been replaced with a permanent framework that raises the maximum bond amount to $20,000 while retaining Nigeria among the affected countries. What you should know
The introduction of the pilot visa bond requirement for Nigeria in January followed the partial U.S. travel restrictions imposed on December 16, when the country was listed among 15 predominantly African nations facing tighter visa controls. 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.
The U.S. government also referenced visa overstay data, citing 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.
The earlier travel restrictions affected both immigrant visas and several non-immigrant categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas. Meanwhile, Nigerians seeking U.S. visas will process their applications through the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos from August 1, 2026, following the transfer of routine visa services from the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.
The permanent visa bond programme marks a significant tightening of U.S. immigration compliance measures for travellers from designated countries, including Nigeria, while reinforcing stricter conditions for obtaining visitor visas.
