The United States government, under a new pilot program set to commence on August 20, 2025, will require some Nigerian and other foreign business and tourist visa applicants to pay bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or up to $15,000 as a condition for visa issuance. This initiative aims to deter visitors from overstaying their visas and is part of the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to curb unauthorized immigration.
The decision empowers U.S. consular officers with the discretion to impose these bonds on travelers coming from countries identified to have high visa overstay rates or deemed to have insufficient screening and vetting procedures. Nigeria is among the countries affected, alongside Angola, Liberia, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Cabo Verde, and Burkina Faso, all of which had overstay rates exceeding 10 percent in 2023.
Applicants required to post a bond must pay via an online treasury portal within 30 days of their visa interview. Visa issuance will be temporarily refused until the bond is paid. Once posted, the bond serves as a form of security deposit: it will be fully refunded if the traveler complies with visa terms, including timely departure, or forfeited if they overstay.
Visas issued under this pilot will be valid for a maximum of three months with single entries allowed. Visa holders will generally be admitted for no longer than 30 days. Exceptions and waivers are very limited and generally reserved for official U.S. government employees or urgent humanitarian cases.
This bond program will operate for 12 months, after which the U.S. government will evaluate the pilot's effectiveness in reducing visa overstays and inform future immigration policy decisions.
The move comes amid broader measures by the Trump administration to enforce tighter border controls and reduce illegal immigration into the U.S.