The US requires up to 20,000 citizens of 30 African countries to obtain a visa.
Written by: Ayman Rahab
The U.S. State Department announced a permanent procedure requiring citizens of 50 countries, including 30 African nations, to provide financial backing of up to $20,000 when applying for a U.S. visa.
According to the U.S. Federal Register, the list may be expanded in the future to include other countries. The maximum value of the bond was set at $15,000, but could be set at $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, at the discretion of the consular officer reviewing the application.
Applications for B1 and B2 visas decreased by 83%
Under the new regulation, scheduled to be published on Monday, the maximum bond value has been raised to $20,000, with the previous minimum of $5,000 being eliminated.
Payment of the bond amount is required in order for the applicant to conduct the consular interview for the visit and work visa application (B1 and B2).
The money is refunded to the applicant if the visa application is rejected, or if it is approved and the holder complies with all its conditions.
The pilot phase of the program showed a decrease in applications for B1 and B2 visas by 83%
The African countries included in the list are: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
