President Donald Trump‘s administration has reportedly given a major visa update for foreign World Cup ticket holders from certain nations. It removes a substantial financial barrier for fans travelling to the tournament this summer.
Donald Trump’s administration waives visa bonds for World Cup fans
The U.S. State Department has waived the visa bonds of up to $15,000. The announcement comes after months of discussions between FIFA and the administration, and applies to supporters from five of the 50 countries placed under the bond policy last year.
The bond requirement was introduced as part of a wider clampdown on immigration, targeting nations the U.S. says have high rates of visa overstays. It demanded payments of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 from temporary visa applicants, refundable only if the traveller complied with visa terms or the application was denied. Among the affected countries, five have qualified for the 2026 World Cup: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tunisia. Citizens from those nations who have bought tickets through FIFA are now exempt.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said, “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 used the FIFA Pass system, which has offered faster visa appointments since 15 April (via ESPN).
World Cup players, coaches, and certain staff were already exempt from the bond policy under orders prioritizing tournament visa processing. Extending the waiver to fans, however, required sign-off from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. It was discussed at multiple White House meetings over several months. FIFA had formally requested the change. U.S. officials reportedly claimed that by early April, roughly 250 ticket holders were affected by the bond. However, the number was changing as sales continued.
However, Amnesty International and dozens of U.S. civil and human rights groups have issued a “World Cup travel advisory” warning visitors about the current climate. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, starts on June 11.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
