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The administration of US President Donald Trump has suspended visa bond requirements for football fans from five African countries attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The policy change affects supporters from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia who have purchased valid match tickets for the tournament.
The visa bond requirement, introduced last year for travellers from 50 countries considered to have high visa overstay rates and other security concerns, required applicants to deposit between $5,000 and $15,000, refundable after compliance with visa rules.
Under the new waiver, eligible citizens from the five African nations who have secured FIFA World Cup tickets and enrolled in the FIFA Pass system for accelerated visa appointments will no longer be required to pay the bond.
World Cup players, coaches and certain tournament personnel had already been exempted from the policy.
According to reports, the waiver is aimed at easing travel arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins on June 11 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Mora Namdar, said the United States is preparing to host a landmark tournament and wants to facilitate travel for qualified supporters.
She said:
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“The United States is excited to organise the biggest and best FIFA World Cup in history.
“We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets.”
Despite the temporary relief for some supporters, the US administration is maintaining broader immigration restrictions. Travellers from Iran and Haiti still face entry bans, although exemptions remain for team officials and related personnel, while partial restrictions continue to affect some travellers from Ivory Coast and Senegal.
Additional measures, including social media screening requirements, also remain in place.
Rights groups and advocacy organisations have criticised aspects of the immigration policy, arguing that some restrictions conflict with the inclusive spirit of the global football event.
Meanwhile, the American Hotel & Lodging Association warned that visa barriers and travel uncertainty have weakened international demand, with hotel bookings for the tournament reportedly falling below early projections.
The visa bond programme remains part of Washington’s wider strategy to discourage visa overstays, with applicants from affected countries still required to meet financial guarantee conditions unless covered by the latest World Cup waiver.
