US $20k Visa Bond: Full List of Affected Countries Released, Nigeria and 29 African Countries Named

• The United States permanently adopted a visa bond scheme that targets travellers from 50 countries, including Nigeria and 29 other African nations
• Eligible B1/B2 visa applicants from affected countries may be directed by a consular officer to pay a refundable bond before receiving their visas
• The bond amounts range from $5,000 to $15,000, and paying it does not guarantee that a visa will be issued

The United States has made its visa bond programme a permanent fixture, placing nationals from 50 countries, including Nigeria and 29 other African nations, under a new financial compliance requirement before they can receive B1/B2 business and tourist visas.

The U.S. Department of State confirmed the move, describing the programme as a tool for strengthening adherence to American immigration rules.

The scheme, which was previously run as a pilot, requires selected visa applicants to post a refundable bond after being instructed to do so by a consular officer during their visa interview.

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Which countries are affected

Beyond Nigeria, the full list of African nations covered by the programme includes 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, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Outside Africa, the programme also covers Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cuba, Dominica, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Venezuela.

How the US visa bond works

Depending on assessments made during the visa interview, applicants may be required to pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000.

The Department of State stressed that applicants should only proceed with payment after a consular officer explicitly directs them to do so. Submitting Form I-352 or making any payment without that instruction is not permitted.

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The bond can be paid by the applicant or by someone acting on their behalf, such as a family member, friend or business associate.

All payments must go through the U.S. government's official Pay.gov platform, and the name of the person paying must match exactly what appears on Form I-352. The State Department cautioned against using any third-party websites for payment.

Travellers covered under the programme must also enter and exit the United States through approved commercial airports or U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance locations. Entry through private aircraft, charter flights, land border crossings or sea ports is not permitted.

The bond is refunded automatically if the traveller departs the United States on or before their authorised date, if they never travel to the U.S. before their visa expires, or if they are refused entry at a port of entry.

However, the Department of Homeland Security may declare the bond forfeited if a traveller overstays, fails to depart after their authorised period ends, or breaches any condition of the visa bond agreement.

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The State Department clarified that paying the bond carries no guarantee of a visa being issued, and that the requirement is grounded in provisions of the U.S.

Immigration and Nationality Act, with visitor overstay rates from the Department of Homeland Security factored into the criteria. The programme applies regardless of where in the world an applicant submits their visa application.

Canada's health conditions that lead to visa rejection

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Canada's government had officially published the medical conditions that can result in a visa application being denied on health grounds.

The four conditions span both infectious diseases and behavioural concerns, revealing the broad scope of Canada's medical admissibility rules.

Canadian authorities have outlined two specific reasons that justify refusing entry on medical grounds, tied to public health and safety.

Source: YEN.com.gh