United States (US) has officially launched a permanent Visa Bond Programme, requiring eligible applicants for business and tourist visas from Nigeria and about 30 other African countries to pay refundable bonds of up to $20,000 before travelling to the U.S.
The new policy took effect on Monday, August 3, 2026, as part of Washington’s efforts to curb visa overstays and strengthen compliance with U.S. immigration laws.
According to the U.S. Department of State, the bond requirement is aimed at ensuring that foreign visitors depart the country before the expiration of their authorised period of stay. The amount to be paid will vary depending on the applicant’s circumstances and the level of immigration risk assessed by U.S. authorities.
The department explained that the programme applies to applicants from countries identified as having relatively high visa overstay rates or deficiencies in information sharing with U.S. authorities. Other factors considered include weaknesses in identity verification systems, limited access to criminal history records, and shortcomings in screening, vetting and the security of travel and civil documents.
The policy was introduced under Executive Order 14159, titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which directs the Departments of State, Homeland Security and the Treasury to strengthen the administration of immigration bond requirements in line with existing U.S. immigration laws.
Although the visa bond is intended to encourage compliance with immigration rules, it is generally refundable once the visitor leaves the United States within the authorised period and satisfies all applicable conditions.
In a related development, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria advised visa applicants to avoid submitting passport photographs that have been altered with artificial intelligence tools or beauty filters. The embassy warned that digitally manipulated images may not meet official visa photo requirements and could delay or affect the processing of applications.
The introduction of the permanent visa bond programme marks another step in the United States’ broader immigration enforcement strategy, with officials saying the measure is designed to improve border security while promoting greater compliance with visa conditions.
