The United States has made its visa bond programme
permanent, requiring certain travellers from 50 countries, including Nigeria,
to pay a refundable bond of up to $20,000 before they can obtain
specific categories of U.S. visas.
According to a federal notice issued by the U.S.
Department of State on Friday, July 31, the requirement applies to applicants
seeking B1/B2 business and tourist visas who are deemed eligible for a
visa but are instructed by a consular officer to post a bond before their visa
is issued.
The State Department explained that the programme,
which was initially introduced as a pilot initiative, is designed to strengthen
compliance with U.S. immigration laws and reduce cases of visa overstays.
Travellers who comply with the conditions of their
visas and leave the United States within the approved period will have the full
amount of the bond refunded.
The notice stated that consular officers have the
authority to require eligible non-immigrant visa applicants to provide a bond
of up to $20,000 as a condition for visa issuance.
It added that data gathered from the 2025 visa bond
pilot programme demonstrated that the policy is an effective tool for
encouraging compliance among visa holders. The pilot programme was jointly
assessed by the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security,
and the Department of the Treasury before the decision to make it permanent.
Of the 50 countries affected by the policy, 30 are
African nations, with Nigeria among those listed. Other African
countries included are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde,
Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique,
Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, and several others.
The visa bond requirement is expected to apply only in
cases where a consular officer determines that an applicant should provide the
financial guarantee before a visa is approved.
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