U.S. plans permanent $20,000 visa bond for applicants from Nigeria, 49 other African nations

The U.S. State Department is making plans to permanently adopt a pilot programme requiring $20,000 visa bond for applicants from Nigeria and 49 other African countries.

According to a draft notice on the Federal Register, the U.S. government has reviewed its initial maximum bond of $15,000 to $20,000 and eliminated the lowest fee of $5,000 in the latest move to discourage visa overstays and crackdown on illegal immigration.

The bonds will apply to Nigerians and 49 other African nationals seeking business and tourist visas to the U.S.

The notice is scheduled to be released on Monday. Citizens of the affected nations are required to pay the bond before their interviews.

If denied a visa, the bond will be refunded. In the event applicants granted visas comply with the terms of the bond, they will also be refunded. Violation of stipulated terms attracts forfeiture of the bond.

The Donald Trump administration, which introduced the bond in August 2025, estimated deportation costs at $18,000, saying it cost thousands of dollars to arrest and shelter a violator before eventual deportation.

The pilot programme was dubbed a success following a significant reduction in the number of visa overstays in its first 10 months of implementation.

From the 45,500 African visitors who overstayed their visas in 2024, the number reduced to less than 50 after the visa bond imposition.

Nigeria is still under a partial U.S. visa ban especially for applicants seeking business, tourists and academic visas.