The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that foreign visitors from certain countries pay as much as $15,000 in bonds if they are confirmed World Cup ticket holders, the State Department confirmed on Wednesday.
The move offers a rare easing of immigration restrictions for fans traveling to the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, which begins on June 11.
The bond requirement, implemented last year, targeted countries with high rates of visa overstays and other security concerns, forming part of the administration’s broader crackdown on immigration.
Travelers from 50 nations were subject to the new bond, with five of those countries – Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Tunisia – having qualified for the World Cup.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar stated: “The United States is excited to organize the biggest and best Fifa World Cup in history. We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets and opted into the Fifa Pass system, which facilitates expedited visa appointments as of April 15.”
This waiver marks a notable departure from the administration’s typically stringent immigration policies, alleviating travel burdens for a segment of international visitors.
While World Cup team players, coaches, and some staff were already exempt from the bond requirement under orders to prioritize tournament visa processing, ordinary fans with confirmed tickets had not been until this week.
The administration’s aggressive measures to restrict immigration have drawn criticism, with opponents arguing they are inconsistent with the unifying spirit a global sporting event like the World Cup is meant to embody.
For instance, the administration has imposed travel bans on visitors from Iran and Haiti, though World Cup players, coaches, and support personnel from these nations are exempt.
Travelers from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, both World Cup qualifiers, face partial restrictions under an expanded version of that travel ban. Additionally, foreign travelers are now required to submit their social media histories, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were deployed at airports during a recent period when Transportation Security Administration personnel were unpaid.
These policies prompted Amnesty International and dozens of U.S. civil and human rights groups to issue a “World Cup travel advisory”, warning travelers about the prevailing climate in the United States.
A recent report by the main advocacy group for US hotels attributed “significantly suppressing international demand” to visa barriers and other geopolitical issues. This has led to hotel bookings for the soccer tournament falling far below initial expectations.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association noted that travelers are concerned about potentially lengthy visa wait times, increased fees, and uncertainty regarding their entry processing into the US.
The bond requirements are part of the administration’s wider effort to curb migrants who enter the US on temporary visas and subsequently overstay. Visa applicants from the affected countries were required to pay bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, which would be refunded if the traveler adhered to visa terms or if the application was denied.
As of early April, US officials, speaking anonymously due to not being authorized to comment publicly, estimated that the number of World Cup fans affected by the bond requirement was relatively small, possibly around 250 people.
However, they noted this figure was rapidly changing as more tickets were purchased and some ticket holders opted against traveling.
Fifa had formally requested the waiver, which required approval from both the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, and was a subject of discussion at multiple meetings in Washington for several months.
