WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 29: U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order dealing with automobile repairs in the Oval Office at the White House on June 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump followed up the signing by answering questions about the SAVE America Act. Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
The administration of US President Donald Trump has moved to permanently enforce a visa bond programme requiring certain visitor visa applicants from 50 countries, including Nigeria, to pay refundable bonds of up to $20,000 before travelling to the United States.
The Visa Bond Pilot Program, introduced in August 2025, required some applicants for tourist and business visas to pay refundable bonds aimed at discouraging visa overstays.
In a draft notice published on Friday, the US State Department said the year-long pilot had demonstrated that the policy was effective.
The department stated that the pilot had “provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.”
