According to a new temporary policy issue, Nigerian travellers to the United States would have to pay up to $15,000 in bonds before entering the states.
The President Donald Trump administration introduced the visa bond pilot programme on Monday, November 23, 2020, for B-1 visas (for business travellers) and B-2 visas (for tourists) and it is expected to run for six months โ December 24 to June 24, 2021.
The programme by the US Department of State is reported to target mostly African countries with high visa overstay.
“The purpose of the pilot program is to assess the operational feasibility of posting, processing and discharging visa bonds, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to help assess the burden on government agencies and identify any practical challenges related to visa bonds,โ the policy document read.The pilot program is designed to apply to nationals of specified countries with high overstay rates to serve as a diplomatic tool to encourage foreign governments to take all appropriate actions to ensure their nationals timely depart the United States after making temporary visits.ย The Pilot Program will run for six months. During that period, consular officers may require nonimmigrant visa applicants falling within the scope of the Pilot Program to post a bond in the amount of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance.
The amount of the bond, should a bond be appropriate, will be determined by the consular officer based on the circumstances of the visa applicant.โ
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