For months, citizens of 50 countries have been required to post bonds of up to $15,000 in order to secure a temporary U.S. visa as part of a policy aimed at curtailing visa overstays. But as the U.S. prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, with fans from across the world looking to come support their teams but nervous about President Donald Trump’s policies toward foreigners, the Trump Administration announced that it would waive the bonds for certain ticketholders.
Five countries—Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tunisia—that are subject to the visa bond policy have qualified for the World Cup. Ticketholders from those countries are now exempt from the visa bonds, according to an update to the State Department’s website on Wednesday.
“As part of President Trump’s commitment to hosting the biggest, best, and safest sporting event in World Cup history, the Administration will waive the visa bond requirement for certain individuals traveling to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” the State Department said.
The visa bond will be waived for citizens of competing countries who have purchased FIFA World Cup tickets and opted into the fast-track visa processing system, FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (PASS), by April 15.
Visitors to the U.S. for the World Cup, the State Department said, will still be subject to regular visa screening and vetting, which has become more stringent during Trump’s second term. The U.S. expects up to 10 million visitors for the soccer tournament, which takes place from June 11 to July 19 in 11 cities across the U.S., as well as in Mexico and Canada.
“We remain committed to strengthening U.S. national security priorities while facilitating legitimate travel for the upcoming World Cup tournament,” Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar told the Associated Press.
Some fans, players, and observers have expressed concern about the U.S. hosting the tournament amid the Trump Administration’s tightening of travel restrictions to the U.S. and aggressive immigration crackdown across the country. Trump’s policies, which include sweeping travel bans and a mass deportation operation, seem at odds with FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s promise to make this year’s World Cup the “most inclusive” in history, critics have said.
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In a statement to media outlets, FIFA said the visa bond waiver 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 Trump Administration previously waived the bond requirement for “qualifying team members, including players, coaches, and support staff who otherwise meet all requirements for entry into the U.S.,” Namdar said.
Immigration concerns
The visa bond policy, initially launched in August and later expanded, is part of the Trump Administration’s broader effort to clamp down on both legal and illegal immigration to the U.S. The Administration has said that the bond requirement affects 50 countries whose nationals have travelled to the U.S. on legal visas but frequently overstay their visas. Applicants from those countries are required to pay $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000, which is refunded if they comply with the terms of the visa, including departing the U.S. on time, or if their visa application is denied.
The bond requirement was estimated to affect around 250 people as of early April, officials told the AP.
FIFA reportedly requested the waiver and discussed the issue at multiple meetings with the Trump Administration over several months.
While the waiver provides relief to some fans attending the World Cup, other immigration and travel restrictions remain in place.
At least 39 countries face travel bans or restrictions, including the Ivory Coast and Senegal. Haiti and Iran, both of which have qualified for the World Cup, are also subject to travel bans. The U.S. has lifted restrictions for team members and personnel from these countries but not for fans. Iran’s participation in the World Cup has been a point of uncertainty, amid the country’s shaky cease-fire with the U.S., although Infantino said earlier this month that Iran will participate.
Visitors to the U.S. will also be subject to new screening requirements, potentially including a proposed rule requiring tourists to submit their social media histories.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International, along with more than 120 organizations, issued a “travel advisory” for the U.S. last month, warning World Cup fans about the “deteriorating human rights situation,” including increased surveillance, immigration enforcement, and the possibility of detention or deportation. The advisory also said there has been an “absence of meaningful action and concrete guarantees from FIFA, host cities, or the U.S. government.”
The White House at the time called the advisory “ridiculous scare tactics driven by liberal activist groups and the left-wing media.”
Others have called for fans to boycott the U.S.-hosted tournament. A number of European lawmakers, as well as prominent soccer figures, pointed to Trump’s tariffs, expansionist foreign policy, and violent immigration crackdown as reasons fans should avoid travelling to the country.
Critics have also raised concerns over the involvement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at other sporting events. ICE agents were part of security operations for the U.S. delegation at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year, although they did not play an immigration role. A Department of Homeland Security official also threatened to send immigration agents to the Super Bowl, where Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performed the Halftime Show in February.
ICE agents were also deployed to airports during the partial federal shutdown in March when Transportation Security Administration personnel were not paid and shortstaffed. White House “border czar” Tom Homan said last month that immigration agents could play a longer-term role at airports despite TSA workers expressing anger at the move.And DHS said it is offering ICE agents to local police departments and federal agencies to provide security for the World Cup. Officials told NBC this week that the agents will not be screening people for immigration status, although they have not been expressly prohibited from making arrests at the matches.
