The US has introduced new travel restrictions that could require Nigerians applying for B1/B2 visas to post bonds of up to $15,000.
According to information posted on the US Department of State’s website, Travel. State. Gov, paying a bond does not guarantee visa issuance, and monies paid without the instruction of a consular officer will not be returned.
African countries accounted for 24 of the 38 named nations, including Nigeria, according to the US State Department’s latest list released on Tuesday.
Visa bonds are financial assurances needed by the US State Department for some foreign citizens from high-risk countries seeking B1/B2 visas for business or tourism.
The implementation dates differ by country, with Nigeria’s scheduled for January 21, 2026.
The Department of State stated that nationals from the above countries require visa bonds, with implementation dates noted in parentheses.
Countries affected include Algeria (21 January 2026), Angola (21 January 2026), Antigua and Barbuda (21 January 2026), Bangladesh (21 January 2026), Benin (21 January 2026), Bhutan (1 January 2026), Botswana (1 January 2026), Burundi (21 January 2026), Cape Verde (21 January 2026), Central African Republic (1 January 2026), Côte d’Ivoire (21 January 2026), Cuba (21 January 2026), Djibouti (21 January 2026), and Dominica (21 January 2026).
Others are 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), and 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 further stated that visa holders who post bonds must enter the United States through approved airports, which include Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
Bonds will be refunded only if the Department of Homeland Security records the visa holder’s departure from the United States on or before the expiration of their authorized stay, if the applicant fails to travel before the visa expires, or if a traveler applies for and is denied admission at a US port of entry.
This move comes after the US imposed partial visa restrictions on Nigeria a week earlier.
On December 16, the US government imposed partial visa restrictions on 15 predominantly African countries, including Angola, Antigua, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, and others.
In Nigeria, the US identified the presence and operations of radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in specific areas of the country, resulting in “substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
An overstay rate of 5.56 percent for B1/B2 visas and 11.90 percent for F, M, and J visas was also used to justify Nigeria’s inclusion. As a result, the travel ban applied to both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories, such as B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J.
