Nigeria not part of visa bond pilot scheme, U.S. clarifies
The United States Embassy and Consulate, yesterday, clarified the status of Nigeria in its visa bond pilot scheme, asserting that the country is not included.
The six-month visa programme kicked off yesterday.
The clarification was contained on the consulate’s official twitter handle.
The policy, issued to discourage nationals of countries with high overstay rates, requires that certain categories of applicants pay $15,000 in bond as condition for visa issuance.
In a statement posted on its portal yesterday, the embassy said: “We are committed to combating visa overstays and making sure travellers to the United States respect our laws. The implementation of this pilot builds on our engagement with foreign governments in recent years and will ensure continued progress to reduce overstay rates.”
The plan, according to the statement, is in response to an “in-depth analysis” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and foreign offices conducted earlier to identify and address root causes of overstays.
Media reports had speculated that Nigeria could make the list.
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