Ziggy Ojiegbe

The United States has expanded the list of countries whose citizens must pay visa bonds of up to $15,000, further tightening entry requirements for visitors and immigrants, including those from Africa.

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According to a briefing by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Trump administration has added seven more countries to the programme, five of them in Africa. The newly added countries are Botswana, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, Bhutan and Turkmenistan.

Information published on the US State Department’s website, travel.state.gov, shows that the new requirement took effect on January 1.

With the latest additions, 11 African countries are now among a total of 13 nations whose citizens face stricter and more expensive visa conditions.

Under the policy, applicants from the affected countries may be required to post a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 when applying for a visa. Payment of the bond does not guarantee that a visa will be granted. However, the bond will be refunded if the visa application is denied or if the visa holder proves they complied with the terms of their stay.

The newly listed countries join Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, The Gambia, Malawi and Zambia, which were added to the programme between August and October last year.

The move is part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to tighten US entry requirements. Other measures include mandatory in-person visa interviews, disclosure of several years of social media activity, and detailed information about applicants’ travel history and living arrangements, including those of family members.

US officials have defended the bond system, saying it helps reduce visa overstays by citizens of countries deemed high-risk.