Nigerians and citizens of several African countries hoping to visit the United States for business or tourism will now have to cough up as much as $20,000 (over ₦30 million) before getting a visa, under a tough new immigration rule aimed at stopping visitors from overstaying.
The policy takes effect on Monday, August 3, 2026, and expands a Visa Bond Programme first tested in August 2025.
US authorities said the crackdown follows growing concerns over foreigners who refuse to leave after their visas expire, as well as weak identity verification and information-sharing systems in some countries.
Under the new rule, consular officers will decide whether an applicant must pay a $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 bond, depending on factors such as the purpose of travel, financial strength, employment and family or business ties back home.
The money will be refunded—without interest—if the visitor obeys all visa rules and leaves the US before the visa expires. Anyone who violates the conditions risks losing the entire bond.
The US Department of State said the policy is backed by Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which strengthens immigration enforcement and compliance.
Officials said the programme targets countries with high visa overstay rates and poor document security or information-sharing systems.
During the pilot scheme, applicants from 50 countries paid up to $15,000 in visa bonds.
The US claimed the move worked, with visa overstays plunging from 45,488 cases in 2024 to fewer than 50 in the first 10 months of the trial.
But the policy also scared off many travellers.
Visa approvals for the affected countries plunged by 83 per cent between August 2025 and July 2026 after nearly half of about 20,000 applicants refused to pay the bond. The US collected an estimated $115 million in deposits during the pilot.
According to US authorities, the visa bond is meant to encourage foreign governments to ensure their citizens obey American immigration laws—not to punish genuine travellers.
The maximum bond amount will be reviewed every seven years, with the first review scheduled for October 1, 2027.
Meanwhile, the US Mission in Nigeria also warned visa applicants against submitting altered or AI-generated passport photographs, stressing that fake or heavily edited images will be rejected.
Among the African countries affected are Nigeria, Algeria, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, Angola, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and several others.
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