Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Tag: US Visa

  • US sets upfront visa-bond option that could hit some Nigerian visitors

    US sets upfront visa-bond option that could hit some Nigerian visitors

    According to Premium Times, the United States has introduced an upfront visa-bond option that could require some visitors—including Nigerians in certain categories—to post a bond of up to $15,000 before travelling.

    The report says the policy is designed to reduce overstays and ensure compliance with visa terms, but it may raise the cost of short-term travel for business meetings, family visits, medical trips, and tourism.

    For Nigerians, the immediate impact is likely to be uneven: frequent travellers with strong documentation may see little change, while first-time applicants and applicants deemed higher-risk could face higher financial hurdles.

    Also reported by other outlets and policy watchers, the move adds to tightening global travel compliance rules and may push travellers to strengthen documentation and plan timelines earlier.

    Echotitbits take: This is less about “punishing” Nigeria and more about risk management in migration policy—but the real-world effect is friction. Watch for how widely the bond is applied in practice and whether it’s limited to narrow profiles or expands over time.

    Source: The Punch – https://punchng.com/us-introduces-15000-visa-bond-for-nigerians-others/ 7 January 2026

    The Punch 2026-01-07

    Photo Credit: The Punch

  • Trump Administration Issues New Visa Bond Requirements for Nigerians

    Trump Administration Issues New Visa Bond Requirements for Nigerians

    Figures cited by ThisDay indicate the United States has added Nigeria to a list of countries whose nationals may be required to pay “visa bonds,” a policy aimed at reducing visa overstays by requiring a refundable deposit that may be forfeited if travelers fail to comply with visa terms.

    The reported bond amounts range from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on category, and apply mainly to B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism) applicants. US officials argue the measure helps enforce compliance and reduce overstay-related costs.

    Nigerian officials and diaspora groups have criticized the policy as discriminatory and as creating a significant barrier for legitimate travelers, students, and business visitors, with concerns it could dampen trade and cultural exchange.

    The Guardian and The Nation also reported reactions, including travel-industry concerns about falling application volumes.

    Echotitbits take: If implemented broadly, the policy could squeeze middle-class travel and push more Nigerians toward alternative destinations. Watch for diplomatic engagement and clarifications on scope and timelines.

    Source: Premium Times — https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/848155-us-imposes-up-to-15000-visa-bond-requirement-for-nigerian-visitors-others.html 2026-01-09

    Photo Credit: Premium Times

  • US Rolls Out Visa Bond Pilot That Could Cost Some Nigerians $5,000–$15,000

    US Rolls Out Visa Bond Pilot That Could Cost Some Nigerians $5,000–$15,000

    Reporting by ThisDay Live indicates the United States has begun implementing a visa bond pilot that may require some B1/B2 (tourism/business) applicants from Nigeria and other countries to post financial guarantees ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.

    The bond requirement is not expected to apply to every applicant; it will be triggered by risk-based assessments during consular processing. Payments, where required, are to be made through the U.S. Treasury’s Pay.gov platform.

    US authorities also stressed that a bond does not automatically mean approval, and third-party payment arrangements would not be accepted.

    **Echotitbits take:** This raises the cost of legitimate travel for Nigerians and could chill short-term business and tourism flows. Watch for Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry response—especially any push for diplomatic engagement or reciprocity discussions.
    Source: The Punch — https://punchng.com/us-introduces-15000-visa-bond-for-nigerians-others/ 2026-01-08

    Photo Credit: The Punch

  • US Expands Entry Restrictions: What Nigeria’s New Partial Limits Mean for Your Visa Plans

    US Expands Entry Restrictions: What Nigeria’s New Partial Limits Mean for Your Visa Plans

    Photo Credit : Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images through NBC News
    2025-12-17 09:00:00

    In a new U.S. presidential proclamation aimed at strengthening national security, Washington says it is expanding entry restrictions for nationals of countries it believes have persistent gaps in screening, vetting, and information-sharing. The policy is presented as a data-driven move to reduce public-safety risks and to push foreign governments to improve cooperation with U.S. immigration and law-enforcement requirements.

    The proclamation keeps full entry restrictions on nationals from 12 previously listed countries and adds five more to that “full restriction” category, while also tightening limits for some travel documents and updating partial restrictions for other nations. The U.S. says key concerns include unreliable civil or criminal records, poor birth registration, limited information-sharing, high overstay rates, and in some cases instability and extremist activity that complicate background checks.

    For Nigerians, the most important update is that Nigeria is included among countries facing partial restrictions—particularly affecting immigrants and nonimmigrants in common visitor and education-related categories (such as B-1/B-2 and F/M/J). In the text outlining the decision, Nigeria is linked to security challenges in parts of the country and to overstay-rate figures cited for certain visa classes.

    On the ground, partial restrictions can translate into tougher scrutiny, slower processing, and more unpredictable outcomes for students, exchange visitors, tourists, business travelers, and families planning trips. Nigerians with legitimate travel plans may need stronger documentation, clearer ties to home, and more careful compliance—while employers, schools, and diaspora networks could see knock-on effects through delayed mobility for study, work, medical trips, and business engagements.

    Echotitbits analysis: Nigeria’s inclusion reads as both a security narrative and a systems test: identity management, document integrity, and cross-border data cooperation. For citizens, the safest short-term move is to keep applications “clean”—consistent records, credible documentation, and strict visa compliance. For policymakers, the fastest way to reduce the stigma is measurable improvements in civil registration, anti-fraud enforcement, and cooperation that produces verifiable results.

    Source: U.S. Presidential Proclamation -https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/restricting-the-entry-of-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-united-states-from-foreign-terrorists-and-other-national-security-and-public-safety-threats/

  • For Nigerians Travelling to the US, Visa Reciprocity Fees No Longer Applies

    For Nigerians Travelling to the US, Visa Reciprocity Fees No Longer Applies

    The United States’ government has aborted its immigration policy that required payment of reciprocity fees by Nigerian citizens seeking a visa to the United States.

    The cancelled reciprocity fees for Nigerian citizens, which was made known in a statement by the Spokesperson in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwoye, will take effect from December 3, 2020.

    Describing the move as a positive development, Nwonye disclosed that the Nigerian government has also reciprocated the gesture of the US.

    He said the Nigerian Government has also removed the excess visa application, processing and biometric fees for United States citizens applying for Nigerian visas.

    “Prospective Nigerian travellers to the United States are hereby advised to visit: www.travel.state.gov for details,” the statement read.

    It would also be recalled that the Nigerian government increased its visa fees for Americans travelling to Nigeria a day after the United States announced increment in its visa fees for Nigerians as a way of retaliating Nigeria’s high fees.

    Nigerians whose American visas have been approved had paid extra fees ranging from $80 to $110 (N28,800 to N39,600), depending on the type of visa being applied for, the State Department said.

    Nigeria has now reduced the visa fees for Americans travelling to Nigeria from $180 to $150.

  • Document Reveals Why Nigeria is Excluded from 2022 US Visa Lottery Application

    Document Reveals Why Nigeria is Excluded from 2022 US Visa Lottery Application

    A document obtained from the United States Government website has shown that Nigeria has been barred from the popular US Visa Lottery Application for 2022.

    In a 19-page document published on the website, Nigeria is the only African country barred from the lottery.

    “For DV-2022, persons born in the following countries are not eligible to apply, because more than, 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.

    “Persons born in Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible,” the document said.

    While natives of other African countries are allowed to apply, the document explained that “persons born in the areas administered prior to June 1967 by Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt are chargeable, respectively, to Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt.”

    It added: “Persons born in the Gaza Strip are chargeable to Egypt; persons born in the West Bank are chargeable to Jordan; persons born in the Golan Heights are chargeable to Syria.”

    Titled: “Instructions for the 2022 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2022),” the document explained that prospective applicants must meet certain guidelines to be eligible for the visa lottery.

    According to the document, “The Department of State determines selectees through a randomized computer drawing.

    “The Department of State distributes diversity visas among six geographic regions, and no single country may receive more than seven per cent of the available DVs in any one year.”

    Idowu Sowunmi