Nigerians applying for B1, B2 visas to the United States will have to post bonds of up to $15,000.
The development is a result of new travel restrictions introduced by the United States.
In a notice released by the State Department, it is said that “any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1 B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000”.
Further, the notice added that “the amount is determined at the time of the visa interview.”
“The applicant must also submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I 352” and “Applicants must agree to the terms of the bond through the Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform Pay gov,” the notice read.
It also warned applicants not to pay without being told to, stressing that “a bond does not guarantee visa issuance” and that “if someone pays fees without a consular officer’s direction, the fees will not be returned.”
For Nigerians, the report says the policy start date is January 21, and it applies “regardless of place of application.”
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through selected US airports, including Boston Logan, John F Kennedy in New York, and Washington Dulles in Virginia.
On refunds, the notice said the bond will only be returned when the Department of Homeland Security confirms the person left the US on time, when the person never travelled before the visa expired, or if they applied for entry and were refused at the border.
This is happening alongside the earlier partial travel restrictions affecting Nigeria. The US cited security and screening concerns, including the “free operation of radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in certain parts of the country, creating substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
It also cited visa overstay rates, including “an overstay rate of 5.56 percent on the B 1 B 2 visa” and “an overstay rate of 11.90 percent on the F, M, and J visas.”
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