The administration of Donald Trump will waive expensive visa bond requirements for some World Cup fans travelling to the United States, easing concerns for supporters from countries previously flagged for high visa overstay rates.
The World Cup is scheduled to kick off on June 11 and will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July. However, due to the travel restrictions in the US, attendance might be low. In a bid to reconcile that, A U.S. State Department official confirmed Wednesday that ticket-holding fans from affected nations will no longer be required to pay visa bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the country for the tournament.
The visa bond policy, introduced last year as part of the administration’s immigration crackdown, applies to visitors from 50 countries considered high-risk for visa overstays.
Among those countries are five nations that qualified for the upcoming FIFA World Cup — Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia.
Mora Namdar, a senior official in the State Department’s consular affairs division, said the waiver will apply to fans who already secured match tickets and registered through the FIFA PASS system before the April 15 deadline.
Qualifying players, team officials and staff members will also be exempt from the bond requirement.
“We remain committed to strengthening U.S. national security priorities while facilitating legitimate travel for the upcoming World Cup tournament,” Namdar said.
The move comes amid growing criticism over the Trump administration’s strict immigration policies and concerns about how they could affect attendance at the tournament.
Under the bond system, applicants from designated countries were required to deposit between $5,000 and $15,000 for a U.S. visa, with the money refundable after they returned home.
Critics argued the policy disproportionately affected fans from developing countries.
According to a study by Mendoza Law Firm, the $15,000 bond is equivalent to nearly three years of average income in some of the affected nations.
Concerns have also grown over immigration enforcement ahead of the tournament, especially after federal immigration raids and increased scrutiny of international travelers under the administration.
Advocacy group Human Rights Watch previously urged FIFA to pressure the U.S. government into suspending immigration enforcement operations around World Cup venues.
However, the Department of Homeland Security insisted that international visitors attending the tournament “have nothing to worry about” if they are legally entering the country.
A FIFA spokesperson welcomed the latest decision, describing it as part of ongoing collaboration between the governing body and U.S. authorities to ensure a successful tournament.
“Today’s announcement further demonstrates our ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Government and the White House Task Force for the FIFA World Cup to deliver a successful, record-breaking and unforgettable global event,” the spokesperson said.
