By Nkiruka Nnorom
The United States has finalized a plan that will compel Nigerians and other African business and tourist visa applicants to deposit up to $20,000 to guarantee they will depart America at the expiration of their stay, citing rising visa overstays and poor information sharing by several countries on the continent.
The rule, which takes effect tomorrow (Monday, August 3, 2026), establishes a permanent Visa Bond Programme after the pilot phase that began in August 2025.
This is even as the US Mission in Nigeria has warned Nigerians against the use of AI-edited passport photos for visa application, saying that it will not accept photos that are edited or filtered. “Your photo should be recent (taken within the past six months) and look like you. The TSA or CBP agent must be able to tell it’s you.”
Meanwhile, the Department of State said the rule, published yesterday, is aimed at tackling the hundreds of thousands of non-immigrant visitors who remain in the US beyond their authorized period.
