US has imposed $15,000 visa bond requirement on Nigerian B1/B2 Applicants.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the United States has announced new travel restrictions that will require some Nigerian applicants for B1/B2 business and tourism visas to post visa bonds of up to $15,000, as part of efforts to tighten immigration compliance for nationals of countries classified as high risk.
In a notice released on Tuesday by the US Department of State, Nigeria was listed among 38 affected countries, with African nations accounting for 24 of those named.
According to the notice, the new measures will take effect on varying dates depending on the country, with Nigeria’s implementation scheduled for January 21.
Under the revised policy, Nigerian citizens or nationals who are otherwise eligible for B1/B2 visas will be required to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, depending on the assessment of a consular officer during the visa interview.
Applicants will also be required to submit Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-352 and formally agree to the bond conditions through the US Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform, Pay.gov.
The State Department emphasised that the payment of a bond does not guarantee visa approval and warned that fees paid without explicit instruction from a consular officer will not be refunded.
Visa holders subject to the bond requirement must enter the United States through designated airports, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The bond will only be refunded if the Department of Homeland Security confirms that the traveller departed the United States on or before the authorised date of stay, if the visa expires without the holder travelling, or if the applicant is denied entry at a US port of entry.
The new visa bond policy comes just days after the US imposed partial travel restrictions on Nigeria. On December 16, the US government placed Nigeria among 15 countries—mostly African—subject to partial travel suspensions.
Other countries affected include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, and The Gambia.
In Nigeria’s case, US authorities cited the activities of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in parts of the country, noting that they pose “substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
The US also referenced visa overstay data, reporting a 5.56 per cent overstay rate for B1/B2 visas and an 11.90 per cent overstay rate for F, M, and J visa categories.
As a result, the partial travel suspension applies to both immigrant visas and several non-immigrant visa categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas. The restrictions officially took effect on January 1.