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US Imposes $15,000 Visa Bond on Visiting Nigerians

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Eric

The United States has introduced new travel restrictions that may require Nigerians applying for B1/B2 business and tourism visas to post financial bonds of up to $15,000, as Washington tightens entry conditions for nationals of countries it classifies as high risk.

Under the new policy announced by the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, applicants from 38 countries, 24 of them in Africa, including Nigeria, may be required to provide visa bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, depending on the assessment made during their visa interview. The measures will take effect on different dates, with Nigeria’s implementation scheduled to begin on January 21.

According to the State Department notice, “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.” Applicants will also be required to submit a Department of Homeland Security Form I-352 and agree to the bond terms through the U.S. Treasury Department’s Pay.gov platform, regardless of where the visa application is submitted.

The department stressed that payment of a bond does not guarantee the issuance of a visa, warning that fees paid without the direction of a consular officer will not be refunded.

Nigerians who post the required bonds and obtain visas will also be restricted to entering the United States through designated airports, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

Refunds of the bonds will only be made if the Department of Homeland Security confirms that the visa holder departed the United States on or before the authorised date of stay, if the applicant does not travel before the visa expires, or if the traveller applies for entry and is denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.

The development comes barely a week after partial U.S. travel restrictions on Nigeria took effect. On December 16, Nigeria was listed among 15 mostly African countries placed under partial travel suspensions, alongside Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, and The Gambia.

Explaining Nigeria’s inclusion, U.S. authorities cited the continued activity of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in parts of the country, which they said created “substantial screening and vetting difficulties.” The U.S. also referenced visa overstay rates of 5.56 percent for B1/B2 visas and 11.90 percent for F, M, and J visas.

As a result of the designation, the suspension covers both immigrant visas and several non-immigrant categories, including B1, B2, B1/B2, F, M, and J visas.

Featured

We Won’t Allow Rivers Govt Be Destabilized, APC Rejects Move to Impeach Gov Fubara

Published

5 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Eric

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State chapter, has vehemently rejected moves by the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy.

The House of Assembly, on Thursday, commenced an impeachment process against Fubara over alleged misconduct..

The impeachment notice is expected to be issued to the governor and his deputy in the next seven days.

Reacting, the Rivers APC, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, rejected the move.

“Our position as at today on this matter is that we solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our governor and his deputy.

“It will be totally untenable for our party to keep quiet when an obvious hang-over from strifes that occurred within the PDP are allowed to resurface in our great party,” Darlington said.

He added that the ruling party “will do everything possible to ensure that the Government of Rivers State, which is an APC government, is not destabilized”.

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Atiku Won’t Step Aside for Obi, Dele Momodu Declares

Published

8 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Eric

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and close ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Dele Momodu, has ruled out speculation that Atiku may withdraw from the 2027 presidential race in favour of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.

A veteran journalist and Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Momodu dismissed the rumours on Thursday, insisting that Atiku has no reason to step down despite growing talks of a possible opposition consensus ahead of the next general election.

Atiku, the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 poll, defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in November 2025, a move widely seen as positioning for the party’s ticket in 2027. Obi, who finished third in the 2023 election, also joined the ADC on the last day of 2025, after leaving the Labour Party, fuelling speculation of a possible political alliance.

Speaking in Abuja, Momodu said pressure on Atiku to abandon his ambition was driven by “malice and prejudice,” particularly arguments centred on age.

“Several people have asked me to advise former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 race. When I ask why, they say he is too old,” Momodu said. “Not that he is less healthy than President Bola Tinubu. Tinubu can contest, but Atiku shouldn’t?”

He rejected claims that Obi could emerge as Atiku’s preferred successor or running mate, noting that prominent Obi supporters, including Prof. Pat Utomi and activist Aisha Yesufu, had publicly opposed such an arrangement.

The comments follow reports that Atiku might step aside for Obi under a purported agreement for a single-term presidency, with Atiku returning in 2031 — a claim Momodu described as unfounded.

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ADC Inaugurates Revalidation, Mobilisation Team

Published

10 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Eric

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has inaugurated a Membership Revalidation, Mobilisation and Registration Committee aimed at expanding the party’s membership base nationwide.

The ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark during the inauguration charged the committee to take the exercise to the grassroots, stressing that the strength and survival of any political party depend largely on the size and commitment of its membership.

He emphasised that the initiative was designed to be inclusive and not exclusionary.

“Let me emphasise that this exercise is not about exclusion, but inclusion, strengthening, organising and repositioning our party to meet the expectations of Nigerians who yearn for credible leadership and democratic governance,” Senator Mark said.

In his acceptance speech, the Committee Chairman, Kashim Imam, pledged to take the party directly to the people, describing the assignment as a mass mobilisation effort.

“This is a mass movement. On behalf of all committee members, I assure you that we will work tirelessly to mobilise and register members across the length and breadth of this country,” he said.

Renowned rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, will serve as Deputy Chairman of the committee, while Dr Sekonte Davies has been appointed Secretary.

The committee is also mandated to develop an electronic registration platform for the party and it is expected to submit its report to the National Working Committee within 30 days.