The United States government has expanded its $15,000 visa bond requirement list, adding 25 more countries, including Nigeria.
This means the citizens of these countries will now be required to pay up to $15,000 to enter the U.S.
The updated visa bond requirement list included six additional African nations: Nigeria, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Namibia.
These countries join other African nations already on the list, such as Malawi, Zambia, and The Gambia.
The move means that 38 countries, most of them in Africa but some in Latin America and Asia, are now on the list, which makes the process of obtaining a U.S visa unaffordable for many.
Those designations took effect on January 1, 2026, according to a notice posted on the travel.state.gov website.
Under the terms of the pilot program, applicants for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas from the designated countries may be required to post a refundable bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.
Consular officers determine the specific amount during the visa interview based on the applicant’s profile and perceived overstay risk.
While the bond is refundable upon the traveler’s timely departure from the U.S., the high upfront cost has sparked concerns that the US visa bond requirement effectively prices out students, entrepreneurs, and families from some of the world’s developing economies.
Below is the full list of those affected by the U.S visa bond requirement and the time it will kick off for each country;
- Algeria (January 21, 2026)
- Angola (January 21, 2026)
- Antigua and Barbuda (January 21, 2026)
- Bangladesh (January 21, 2026)
- Benin (January 21, 2026)
- Bhutan (January 1, 2026)
- Botswana (January 1, 2026)
- Burundi (January 21, 2026)
- Cabo Verde (January 21, 2026)
- Central African Republic (January 1, 2026)
- Cote D’Ivorie (January 21, 2026)
- Cuba (January 21, 2026)
- Djibouti (January 21, 2026)
- Dominica (January 21, 2026)
- Fiji (January 21, 2026)
- Gabon (January 21, 2026)
- The Gambia (October 11, 2025)
- Guinea (January 1, 2026)
- Guinea Bissau (January 1, 2026)
- Kyrgyzstan (January 21, 2026)
- Malawi (August 20, 2025)
- Mauritania (October 23, 2025)
- Namibia (January 1, 2026)
- Nepal (January 21, 2026)
- Nigeria (January 21, 2026)
- Sao Tome and Principe (October 23, 2025)
- Senegal (January 21, 2026)
- Tajikistan (January 21, 2026)
- Tanzania (October 23, 2025)
- Togo (January 21, 2026)
- Tonga (January 21, 2026)
- Turkmenistan (January 1, 2026)
- Tuvalu (January 21, 2026)
- Uganda (January 21, 2026)
- Vanuatu (January 21, 2026)
- Venezuela (January 21, 2026)
- Zambia (August 20, 2025)
- Zimbabwe (January 21, 2026)
The statement reads in part: “This is outlined in INA Section 221(g)(3) and the Temporary Final Rule (TFR) establishing the pilot program. Visa overstay rates are based on the B1/B2 overstay rate per the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report.
“Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.
“The amount is determined at the time of the visa interview. The applicant must also submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352. Applicants must agree to the terms of the bond through the Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform Pay.gov. This requirement applies regardless of the place of application.
“Applicants should submit Form I-352 to post a bond only after a consular officer directs them to do so. Applicants will get a direct link to pay through Pay.gov. They must not use any third-party website for posting the bond. The U.S. Government is not responsible for any money paid outside of its systems.
“A bond does not guarantee visa issuance. If someone pays fees without a consular officer’s direction, this person will not get that money back.
“As a condition of the bond, all visa holders who have posted a visa bond must enter and exit the United States through the designated ports of entry listed below. Not doing this might lead to a denied entry or a departure that is not properly recorded:
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the Trump administration unveiled the U.S visa bond requirement list.
The list targeted B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism) visa applicants from specific countries with high overstay rates or deficient vetting systems.
