Politics

Nigeria is not included in visa bond pilot, US govt

Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 8:23 AM by Rahaman Abiola

- US government has excluded Nigeria from its new visa bond pilot policy

- The policy which is set to tackle overstay in the US by some country's nationals will run for a six-month period

- In what looks like Donald Trump's last immigration policy attempt, nationals of 15 African countries applying for a US visa will have to pay more

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Government of the United States on Tuesday, November 24, explained that Nigeria is totally exempted from the visa bond pilot policy set to tackle overstays in America.

In a statement by the US consulate in Nigeria, the embassy said it is piloting a limited visa bonds program to "test steps and address overstays", saying many countries will be affected by the new development.

It also disclosed that the process would be carried out in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

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According to the embassy, this would ensure the "timely departure from the United States of certain travellers" from Africa and other continents.

It also revealed that the State Department will kickstart the limited six-month visa bond pilot program beginning on December 24, 2020.

Nigeria is not included in visa bond pilot, US govt — US government has excluded Nigeria from its visa bond pilot policy. Credit: U.S. Mission Nigeria
Source: Twitter

"The implementation of this pilot builds on our engagement with foreign governments in recent years and will ensure continued progress to reduce overstay rates. Nigeria is not included in this six months pilot program."

Legit.ng notes that the US is also wielding the policy as an instrument of diplomacy to force other governments to become more proactive with driving down overstay rates of their nationals.

It is, however, likely to be seen as yet another anti-immigration policy by the President Donald Trump administration which mostly affects African countries.

While Nigeria has typically seemed a prime subject of the Trump administration’s recent anti-African immigration policies, Africa’s most populous country has survived the axe of the US this time around.