The United States has introduced new travel restrictions that could require Nigerians applying for B1/B2 business and tourism visas to post visa bonds of up to $15,000, in a move aimed at tightening immigration compliance for nationals of countries deemed high risk.
According to a notice released by the US Department of State on Tuesday, Nigeria is among 38 countries affected by the new policy, with African nations accounting for 24 of those listed.
The measures will take effect on different dates for each country, with Nigeria’s implementation scheduled for January 21.
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Under the new rules, Nigerian citizens or nationals who are otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa will be required to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, as determined by a consular officer at the time of the visa interview.
Applicants must also submit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-352 and agree to the bond terms through the US Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform.
The State Department stressed that the posting of a bond does not guarantee visa issuance and warned that fees paid without the direct instruction of a consular officer will not be refunded.
Visa holders who post bonds will also be required to 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 DHS records the visa holder’s departure from the United States on or before the authorised date of stay, if the applicant does not travel to the US before the visa expires, or if the traveller applies for admission at a US port of entry and is denied entry.
“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 place of application.
“A bond does not guarantee visa issuance. If someone pays fees without a consular officer’s direction, the fees will not be returned,” the notice reads.
The development comes just a week after partial US travel restrictions on Nigeria took effect. On December 16, the US government placed Nigeria among 15 countries, most of them African on a list of nations subject to partial travel suspensions.
Other countries on the list include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, and The Gambia.
In Nigeria’s case, US authorities cited the activities of radical Islamic terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State, in parts of the country, which they said create “substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
The US also referenced visa overstay rates, noting a 5.56 per cent overstay rate for B-1/B-2 visas and an 11.90 per cent overstay rate for F, M, and J visa categories.
As a result, the partial travel suspension covers both immigrant visas and several non-immigrant visas, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J categories. The decree officially took effect on January 1.
