The United States Government has announced new travel restrictions requiring some Nigerian applicants for B1/B2 business and tourism visas to post visa bonds of up to 15,000 dollars.
A notice issued by the U.S. Department of State on Tuesday said Nigeria is among 38 countries affected by the policy, with 24 of them in Africa.
The notice stated that the measures would take effect on different dates, with Nigeria’s implementation scheduled for Jan. 21.
Under the new rules, Nigerian citizens or nationals who are otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa may be required to post a bond of 5,000 dollars, 10,000 dollars or 15,000 dollars, as determined by a consular officer during the visa interview.
Applicants are also required to submit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-352 and agree to the bond conditions through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform, Pay.gov.
The State Department emphasised that posting a bond does not guarantee visa issuance and warned that any fees paid without direct instruction from a consular officer would not be refunded.
It added that visa holders who post bonds 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.
According to the notice, the bond would 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 before the visa expires, or if the traveller applies for admission at a U.S. port of entry and is denied entry.
The development comes a week after partial travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. on Nigeria took effect.
On Dec. 16, the U.S. government placed Nigeria among 15 countries subject to partial travel suspensions, most of them African nations.
Other countries listed include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon and The Gambia.
U.S. authorities cited security concerns, including the activities of Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates, which they said pose substantial screening and vetting challenges.
The U.S. also referenced visa overstay rates, putting Nigeria’s B1/B2 overstay rate at 5.56 per cent and the rate for F, M and J visa categories at 11.90 per cent.
As a result, the partial travel suspension covers immigrant visas and several non-immigrant visa categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas, which took effect on Jan. 1.
